Grand Tour of England Day 20

We drove the short distance to Dungeness this morning. It was warm and sunny - not surprising as apparently this is the driest area of England and its low rainfall means it just qualifies as UK’s only desert.

I’d long wanted to visit Derek Jarman’s Prospect Cottage and its famous garden. His film Caravaggio is well-remembered. He moved here after being diagnosed HIV positive in 1986 and made his admired garden on the shingle at Dungeness. The area close to the nuclear power station seems very popular with holiday homes, caravan parks etc. It has a oddly mysterious charm. A sign warned us to leave the area in the event of a nuclear accident and “seek medical help if necessary”. Jarman died in the 1990s and subsequently the house and garden fell into disrepair but thanks to a crowd-funding campaign it is once again loved and cared for.

The power station can be seen to the left of the cottage.

We had a walk on the shingle beach then on the way back, bought some cherries from a road-side vendor, and then bread in a farm shop. We got the last Guardian in Lydd. No surprise there. Just for a change we are having a relaxing afternoon sitting in the sun. I can’t remember if we’ve done that yet this trip.