The Dungeness Prospectus

Today was another glorious winter's day - exactly the same as a week ago so of course it was time for another coastal adventure.
We had seen Dungeness setting out its case shimmering in the distance on our visit to Dymchurch last Friday and knew we would have to add it to our list of seaside destinations. We weren't expecting it to be so soon but the conditions meant is was too good an opportunity to let pass.
Dungeness is a headland on the east coast of Kent formed largely of a shingle beach in the form of what's called a cupstate foreland and is one of the largest expanses of shingle in Europe.
When we arrived and got out the car you could feel the expansiveness of both the sky and land - It has a bleak, uncompromising and almost ethereal beauty that feels like nowhere else. 
We headed out along a long curving road towards the old lighthouse and the looming presence of the nuclear power station (see my first extra) to get a sense of our surroundings and then find Prospect Cottage - the former home of Dark Jarman who was an artist, film maker, costume designer, stage designer, writer, gardener and gay rights activist.
He'd moved to the cottage in 1986 and spent large periods of his life there, in what he called his sanctuary, until his sadly early death in 1994. He created a remarkable shingle garden with plants that can survive the harsh conditions and is full of metal and driftwood sculptures. 
Rather embarrassingly we couldn't seem to find it so we continued our walk taking in all the the sights of such an extraordinary landscape (see third, fourth and fifth extras - I might have over blipped again!). It was only when we had completed our walk and got back in the car to leave that we realised we had driven straight past it on what constitutes Dungeness's main drag!
My main image is of a side elevation of the cottage - I just thought I would go for an alternative viewpoint. It has recently been renovated (it's now used as a writers' retreat)  and is utterly resplendent in its restored jet black wooden cladding and bright yellow window frames, which really stood out against the unseasonably blue sky.
Rather than head straight home we decided to double up and take the twisting and turning coastal road to Camber Sands (where my final image was taken) to get a last blast of sea air. Remarkably the beachside cafe was still open when we arrived and we were able to sit out on the wooden terrace with a hot dog and chips and a glass of beer looking out to sea as the waves rolled in.