Dungeness is a shingle headland located on the Romney Marsh along the south east coast of England about halfway between Hastings and Folkstone. Apart from it's unique geology, and wildlife, which is protected through various conservation designations it is also, rather incongruously, the site for two nuclear power stations. Apparently the warm water from the outflow of the power station is partly responsible for attracting many of the wild birds that flourish there.
Click all images for a larger view.
I first became interested in visiting this place after watching an episode of the BBC series "A Digital Picture of Britain" which aired in 2006. The premise of the series was to introduce professional photographers who currently only use film, to the digital medium. In this particular episode the photographer Nick Denziger chose Dungeness as his subject on which to try out his borrowed digital SLR.
Watching the programme I was struck by the raw and somewhat bleak beauty of the area. This aura is enhanced by the collection of ramshackle cottages that are dotted along the unmaintained road running through the estate giving it a somewhat desolate feel. One of these homes (Prospect Cottage) was previously owned by a film director, Derek Jarman. Before his death Jarman created a garden out of the shingle using local flora and various pieces of flotsam he found lying on the beach.
Prospect Cottage
The first chance I had to pay a visit came during a recent tour of East Sussex and Kent that my family and I made during a very wet bank holiday weekend in our motorhome. It was a miserable afternoon with slate grey skies and threatening rain and we had just finished bird watching at a nearby RSPB reserve. As the Dungeness estate was only another couple of minutes further down the road it wasn't difficult to persuade my two wives (see post entitled "I sometimes wonder why I bother" below for an explanation) to make the short detour to have a quick nosey. Despite the weather, indeed it may even have been because of the weather, I was not disappointed with the decision. Dungeness was everything I imagined it to be and made up my mind there and then to come back on my own with the camera sometime. Fortunately for me my two wives were also captivated by the unusual ambience. I don't think this place is everyone's cup of tea so it could easily have gone the other way and I would then have been met by a very vocal chorus of disapproval, mainly from mini wife!
The Old Lifeboat House (Nuclear power station in the background)
My next opportunity to pay a revisit came as soon as the following weekend. Clear skies and a promising weather forecast was all the prompting I needed to demand a 48 hour pass from the boss (i.e. wife No. 1). This trip was also going to be my first experience of "wild camping" which is basically camping overnight in the motorhome at any available spot where you are not likely to be disturbed. The advantage of this is; a) I can be closer to where I want to photograph; b) I can move off whenever I want, unlike on an official campsite where curfews are applied for the comfort of the other campers. Oh yes and; c) it's free.
A creation from flotsam and jetsom in a garden.
A typical Dungeness cottage.
Some of the Dungeness residents are trawlermen. Their fishing boats are hauled up onto the shingle bank each day as they have been for centuries along this part of the coast.
Three sisters.
The Julie T
Once beyond their useful life the old fishing boats and sheds seem to be simply left to rot adding to the strange, apocalyptic feel. Given the modern materials that the current fleet are made from however, I cannot imagine that this practice will be allowed to continue, or at least I hope it won't.
Beyond economic repair.
C'est la vie.
On the second evening I plucked up the courage to pitch up on a private road that led directly down to the beach. There was a notice at the head of the road warning that the gate could be locked at any time. Throughout the day I had watched other people with motorhomes and who seemed to have the same idea, so I figured I was at the very least in good company. Besides if this gate was locked behind me it was only a matter of perhaps a couple of hours before it would be opened again anyway. Initially I was quite pleased with my decision to risk this. It was a beautiful, peaceful evening, I was right next to the beach and had a great view of the sea.
There is a police vehicle that regularly patrols around the area as part of the nuclear power station security measures. So I was half expecting that they would move me on. However the police drove past a couple of times and took no notice of me so I was well and truly set for a quiet night. Or so I thought.
Unfortunately what I hadn't reckoned on was the number of people who come here on a weekend to fish throughout the night. So after nightfall it wasn't long before I was listening to a very loud and continuous commentary from some, obviously deaf, fishermen on which species of fish they had just landed. After about 20 minutes of this I drove the mile or so back to the RSPB carpark as I had done the previous night in order to get a peacful sleep. I don't know what it is about fishermen but they do seem to cause me a lot of grief one way or another.
Hopefully this blog has given at least a flavour of this unique corner of the south coast. As with all landscape photography you do need to keep revisiting your favourite locations at different times of the year in order to discover the best images. Watch this space!