Walk with us: Dungeness to Bulverhythe

Dungeness Beach by Ian Simpson/Unsplash

From 30th May to 1st June, our D2B walks and talks took place in Dungeness and Bulverhythe. Wild and remote, Dungeness’ headland is a uniquely beautiful Site of Special Scientific Interest. Our participants were able to learn about the mysterious allure of this hidden wildlife haven and got a glimpse into its rail heritage.

Over coffee and cake at the Romney Hythe and Dymchurch Railway café, manager Danny Martin gave a short talk about the charming miniature railway which has been delighting travellers since 1927. Danny fedback that he “had a great time talking to a very interested group, allowing me the opportunity to explain the very special origins and development of our railway as an integral part of the fantastic and special landscape that is Dungeness.”

Our circular walking route passed the Old Lighthouse and the Polish RAF memorial, stopped at Dungeness Bird Observatory and the Seawatch hide.

Then Mark Wright, an expert ornithologist explained the ecological importance of Dungeness and its role as a waypoint for migratory birds on their epic journeys around the globe.  Mark described that ‘although perhaps Dungeness can be off-putting – a desert-like landscape with a decommissioned nuclear powerplant, vestigial power lines, debris, abandoned paraphernalia, etc. – for all sorts of reasons it is well worth a look.” Importantly, “the landscape is utilised successfully not just by humans but wildlife too, coexisting.  I thought the event MSL put together worked very well to highlight this and create a ‘positive message’.

One of our participants commented that the event was “wonderful! the drive; the landscape; the company; the information; the whole lovely experience.” And another participant said, “I very much appreciated the thinking behind getting to know the Dungeness environment, and the breadth of information that you were able to cover.”

Up next was our Bulverhythe to Combe Valley Walk and Talk on Sunday 1st June. After morning coffee, our walking guide, Emma Ramsden, Senior Conservation, Education and Community Lead for Groundwork South, revealed the secrets of the intertidal zone, as we made our way along the coastal path, peeking into rock pools and skirting the site of the 17th Century shipwreck, the Amsterdam.

Turning inland through Combe Valley we learnt about plans to improve biodiversity and flood mitigation in response to the flood risk posed by climate change to the local community.

Combe Valley Community Garden with its native tree nursery was the perfect setting for lunch. Inside the Discovery Centre we learnt about Bexhill Wild Domesday Project from David Dennis.  Its valuable work will assess our wild and natural treasures for the benefit of all. We received very positive feedback from our participants:

“Knowledgeable and friendly organisers. So much of interest. I hope to continue to learn more about Combe Valley.”

“Really enjoyed the talks by Emma and David. Very informative re. the local area. Nice to walk and meet new people.”

“Thoroughly enjoyable – energetic and engaging speakers.”  Another participant commented that they had been given a “new perspective on my local area, its resources and future.”

The Dungeness to Bulverhythe programme has brought us to the end of a major strand of work that began with The Sea Beneath which included contributions to Beach of Dreams and begins a new strand, The Amsterdam Project. This project will roll up the stories and themes we have been collecting for five years. We will be working with new partners, hoping to take as many as we can of those we’ve developed so far along with us, as we also establish new partnerships.