White Cliffs of Dover

Saturday I went to walk the cliffs. I got there really early so the trail was blissfully empty for the first half of my walk. And the weather was perfectly sunny. And windy. I stayed away from the edge just in case. Others were more daring. 

White cliffs of Dover

On the way to the lighthouse, there is Fan Bay Deep Shelter, a set of WWII tunnels in the cliffs, used to house soldiers and gunners in defence of the South-East coast. The tunnels have been open to the public for the last year after being rediscovered in 2012, and I was taken around by one of those who did the excavation. You had to wear a hard hat with a head lamp as there is no lighting down there. 

Going down.

What it would have looked like

And would have been this wet too.

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Duck

Our guide pointed out fossils and graffiti and covering in the walls on the way around.

Fossil

Half way through the tour, we emerged out onto the side of the cliff between 2 sound mirrors, basically concrete dishes which picked up noise. Towards the end of the war, they could pick up and pin point motor traffic on the coast of France.

Sound mirror.

Noughts and crosses.

Pretty mould.

Dead man's finger - highly poisonous.

They also had some of the shells lying around. Below is one of the armour piercing ones. I wish had got something in the photo to give scale. The thing was huge. No wonder it could pierce armour and bunkers!

Armour piercing.

Sparkly 

Light at the end of the tunnel

Of course having gone down, we had to get back up. All 143 steps. Steep steps. (My calves and thighs have been aching for days.)

After the tunnels I finished the walk to the lighthouse and lunch!

South Foreland lighthouse.

The tea rooms were really cute, all 50s and 60s. But I was too hungry and busy eating to take any photos. You can also take a tour up the lighthouse.

Circular furniture.

Looking down the chimney.

The light

The phone

View from the top.

View towards St. Margarets.

After the hike back to the car (had to strap up my knees for that part), I went to Bibbenden Vineyard, which was near the one I went to the day before. Again really nice, and they let me try all of their wines and ciders. ALL of them. A lot. And all very tasting. So after stocking up (my wine rack looks lovely), I took their walk around the vineyards.

Vineyards.

Ortega grapes

Tiny Pinor Nior grapes.

Downfield grapes.

They also had some really nice apple juice, one made from red apples where the flesh of the apple is actually red. Weird but very tasting! Hoping to go back there again in the future.