maandag 16 december 2019

Dungeness en Fairfield church

Op doorreis naar Eastbourne, bezocht ik Dungeness waar ik tussen de regenbuien in toch enkele foto's kon nemen. Kort na de middag reed ik naar Fairfield om een korte wandeling te maken in de omgeving van St Thomas Becket church...
15 december 2019



Dungeness

This vast expanse of shingle on the edge of Romney Marsh has an almost surreal quality. The otherwise flat and bleak landscape is punctuated by two lighthouses and the hulking form of the Dungeness nuclear power station.

There are many odd things about Dungeness, not least the environment. It is one of the most unique habitats in Britain and is technically classified as a desert. Despite this it is home to a wealth of wildlife including 600 species of plant and any number of rare insects.

Angling is popular here, particularly a spot known as the “patch” or “boil”. This is where heated water and sewage is pumped out of the power station creating an oasis of sealife.

One of Dungeness’s best known sights is Prospect Cottage with its driftwood garden. This was the home to film director Derek Jarman’s but is typical of the wooden dwellings along the coast here.  
 


St Thomas Becket Church, Fairfield


Arguably the most iconic of all the churches on Romney Marsh, St Thomas Becket sits alone in a field, surrounded by water courses and sheep.

It was built in the 12th century and restored in the 18th century, when the original timber building was encased in brick. Much of the original timber work can be seen inside the church, which also contains a seven-sided font and triple-decker pulpit.

Legend has it that St Thomas a Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, had the church built after he was rescued from one of the many ditches on the marsh by a farmer. He prayed for a miracle and just in time a farmer arrived to save him.

Visitors may recognise the church from the 2011 BBC adaptation of Great Expectations, the film of the same name in 2012 or TV series Parade's End. It is also one of the most photographed locations in Kent.

















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