The History of Dungeness
In the 14th Century when the tide went out, this area formed the southernmost point of the Romney Marsh. The New York Times once stated “if Kent is the Garden of England, Dungeness is the back gate”. Dungeness is a headland on the coast of Kent. It is formed largely of a shingle beach in the form of a cuspate foreland. It shelters a large area of low-lying land, Romney Marsh.
The point of Dungeness sits about 3 miles out into the English Channel. It is a Site of Special Scientific Interest, a bird sanctuary and an area protected from future development. Since the 1920’s houses and holiday homes have been developed from railway carriages at Dungeness.
During World War Two
During World War Two, post D-Day, the UK end of the Pipe Line Under The Ocean (PLUTO) was located. PLUTO was the hub and source of a series of small bore high pressure hoses. These hoses were trailed across the seabed to France carrying up to one million gallons of fuel per day to troops fighting in Normandy. Dungeness is also the ‘end of the line’ for the Romney Hythe & Dymchurch Railway (RH&DR). RHDR claims to be the world’s smallest public railway, having a gauge of just 15 inches.
After World War Two
After WWII two Nuclear Power Stations were built at the end of the promontory, and these structures also necessitated the building of a new lighthouse. Within 150 years, some people expect the land to be returned to the sea leaving just the two lighthouses and the Nuclear Power Stations visible above the waves. To me, Dungeness is a special place, I enjoy visiting there and hope you will enjoy my images and click on them for additional text.