St Mary's Bay

This was our second visit to St Mary's Bay, with its huge sweep of sand and shingle punctuated by long, dark groynes. The view from the sea wall stretches from the port of Dover in the east to Dungeness to the west, and the very serious coastal defences which protect the low-lying and vulnerable expanse of Romney Marsh also provide an excellent accessible surface for wheels of any kind. I've blipped this beach once before, on a day with a more dramatic sky, so today I've chosen different views. I like the simplicity of the main photo, with the smooth sand, clear horizon, scattering of gulls and the line of the river outlet with its splash of red warning. The extra is the view west to Dungeness: the outline of the recently decommissioned nuclear power station is clear, with lines of pylons heading inland to the right and the slender silhouette of the lighthouse to the left. It was a mild March afternoon, with lots of dog-walkers and a few cyclists out, but the huge beach still appeared almost deserted. I love living among hills, but it's good sometimes to find a big, open hoizon.