Writers and artists are often inspired by the landscapes they encounter or inhabit, and one of the most distinctive is Dungeness in Kent, on England’s south coast. This headland is punctuated by converted lookout towers, fishermen’s cottages, tanneries and wood-panelled artists’ studios, turquoise crab nets and rusted anchors.
Often dubbed “Britain’s only desert” due to its low rainfall, Dungeness is also occupied by two hulking nuclear power stations – one decommissioned, one still in use – several lighthouses and a miniature railway. The vista is bleak, with sea kale growing out of the stone and shingle beach. The sky is expansive and on clear days, France is just visible across the sea.
