Dungeness is the headland of a shingle beach on the Romney Marsh in Kent, England. It is also given to a "village" situated along the beach: and to an important ecological site on the same location. The Romney Marsh is a sparsely-populated wetland area in the counties of Kent and East Sussex in the south-east of England. ... Kent is a county in England, south-east of London. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population - Total (mid-2004) - Density Ranked 1st UK 50. ...

Ecology

The name Dungeness derives from Old Norse nes: "headland", with the first part probably connected with the nearby Denge Marsh. Popular etymology ascribes a French origin to the toponym, giving an interpretation as "dangerous nose". This is the approximate extent of Old Norse and related languages in the early 10th century. ... A fake etymology is an invented explanation (etymology) for the origin of a word. ...

Dungeness is one of the largest expanses of shingle in the world. It is of international conservation importance for its geomorphology, plant and invertebrate communities and birdlife. This is recognised and protected in large part through its conservation designations - National Nature Reserve (NNR), Special Protection Area (SPA) and Special Area of Conservation (SAC).

There is a remarkable and unique variety of wildlife living at Dungeness. Over 600 different types of plant (a third of all those found in Britain). It is one of the best places in Britain to find insects such as moths, bees, beetles and spiders; many of these are very rare, some found nowhere else in Britain.

The flooded gravel pits, both brackish and fresh water, provide an important refuge for many migratory and coastal bird species. The RSPB have a bird sanctuary there and every year thousands of bird watchers descend on the peninsula to catch a glimpse of rare birds. There is also a bird observatory. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is Europes largest wildlife conservation charity. ... A bird observatory is a centre for the study of bird migration and bird populations. ...

Power stations

There are two nuclear power stations at Dungeness. There are two nuclear power stations located near Dungeness in the south east of Kent, England. ...

Lighthouses

There have been five lighthouses at Dungeness. The Peggys Point lighthouse in Nova Scotia, Canada An aid for navigation and pilotage at sea, a lighthouse is a tower building or framework sending out light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire. ...

At first only a beacon was used to give warning to sailors, but this gave way to a proper lighthouse during the reign of James I in 1615. As the sea retreated, this had to be replaced in 1635 by a new lighthouse nearer to the water’s edge. As more shingle was thrown up, a new and more up-to-date lighthouse was built near the sea in 1792. In 1901 Lighthouse number four was commissioned; when in 1961 its modern successor, the black and white lighthouse number five, was commissioned, the Old Lighthouse became a tourist attraction. Its 167 steps give visitors a bird’s eye view of the shingle beach. James VI of Scots and James I of England and Ireland (Charles James) (19 June 1566–27 March 1625) ruled England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. ... Events June 2 - First Récollet missionaries arrive at Quebec City, from Rouen, France. ... Events February 10 - The Académie française in Paris is expanded to become a national academy for the artistic elite. ... 1792 was a leap year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1901 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1961 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Communications

Roads

There are two roads giving access: one from Lydd in the north-west; and from the north at New Romney along the coast. Location within the British Isles Arms of Lydd Town Council Lydd is a town in Kent, England, lying on the Romney Marsh. ...

Railways

A branch from Appledore to New Romney was opened by the South Eastern Railway: it had a short branch line to a station at Dungeness, which was closed to passengers on 4 July 1937; it was closed completely when the Lydd to New Romney section closed on 6 March 1967. The remains of the line to Lydd are used to carry gravel from the various extraction plants on the beach. The track of the railway is shown on Ordnance Survey map sheet 89, and a number of local cottages have been constucted from old carriages. Appledore is a village in Kent, England, about 8 miles (13 kilometres) south of Ashford, Kent and on the northern edge of the Romney Marsh. ... The London and Greenwich Railway (LGR), together with the Canterbury and Whitstable Railway (CWR) in East Kent were the earliest railways to serve the then county of Kent: eventually both became parts of the South Eastern Railway (SER). ... July 4 is the 185th day of the year (186th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 180 days remaining. ... 1937 was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... March 6 is the 65th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (66th in Leap years). ... 1967 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Image produced from the Ordnance Survey Get-a-map service. ...

There is a railway line to the nuclear power station at Dungeness, to allow waste to be carried away for treatment.

The Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway, first opened to New Romney in 1927, was extended to a station at Dungeness a year later. The Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway is a 15 inch (380 mm) gauge heritage railway in Kent, England. ...

Defence uses

The beach and marshes have been used for military training and there are marked Danger areas.

Acoustic mirrors

Denge is the site of a set of acoustic mirrors, known as the "Listening Ears". Built between 1928 and 1930, the three massive concrete structures were an early warning system that aimed to detect invading forces by focussing sound waves. The site was chosen as being one of the quietest in Britain. Their different forms are evidence of their experimental nature; they were not particularly effective and were abandoned when radar became available. English Heritage and English Nature have joined forces to provide public access to the site. An acoustic mirror is a device used to focus and amplify sound waves. ... A warning system is any system of biological or technical nature deployed by an individuum or group to inform of imminent danger. ... This article is about compression waves. ... This long range radar antenna (approximately 40m (130ft) in diameter) rotates on a track to observe activities near the horizon. ... English Heritage is a United Kingdom government body with a broad remit of managing the historic environment of England. ... English Nature is the United Kingdom Government Agency that promotes the conservation of wildlife, geology and wild places throughout England. ...

Operation Pluto

In 1944 some of the world's first submarine oil pipelines were laid between Dungeness and France in Operation Pluto. 1944 was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Operation Pluto (Pipe-Lines Under The Ocean) was a World War II operation by British scientists, oil companies and armed forces to construct undersea oil pipelines under the English Channel between England and France. ...

The "village"

Prospect Cottage, Dungeness (2004)

Dungeness is not truly a village, more a scattered collection of dwellings. Some of the homes (small wooden houses in the main) are owned and lived in by fishermen, whose boats lie on the beach; some are occupied by people trying to escape the pressured outside world. Download high resolution version (868x577, 179 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Download high resolution version (868x577, 179 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...

Perhaps the most famous house is Prospect Cottage, formerly owned by the late artist and film director Derek Jarman. The cottage itself is painted black, with a poem written on one side in black lettering. The garden however is the main attraction. Reflecting the bleak, windswept landscape of the peninsula Derek Jarman's Garden is made of pebbles, driftwood, scrap metal and a few hardy plants. A book "Derek Jarman's Garden" is available, ISBN 0-500-01656-9. 19th century Cottages in the small hamlet of Crafton, Buckinghamshire A cottage is a small house of any period. ... Film refers to the celluloid media on which movies are printed Film is a term that encompasses motion pictures as individual projects, as well as the field in general. ... Derek Jarman Derek Jarman (January 31, 1942 - February 19, 1994) was a British film director, stage designer, artist, and writer. ... Bust of Homer, one of the earliest European poets, in the British Museum Poetry (ancient Greek: ποιεω (poieo) = I create) is an art form in which human language is used for its aesthetic qualities in addition to, or instead of, its notional and semantic content. ...

There are more solidly-built houses around the site of the power stations.

The "landscape"

Liverpool university and the Romney Marsh research trust have produced an excellent interactive website, which shows how this area of England evolved. The current landscape is of relatively recent origin (late medieval) and was further altered when the Marsh was drained and replaced by the large arable fields of industrial agriculture. The web site links ecology, geomorphology and the human history in an accessible format for the non specialist (ie most of us). http://www.romneymarsh.net/

The serene other worldly-ness of Dungeness is currently under threat from plans to lengthen the runway of a nearby airfield to accommodate large jets so that it can expand passenger operations.

Director Derek Jarman made his home in Dungeness and grew an outstanding garden there. Dungeness became the setting of his movie The Garden. Derek Jarman Derek Jarman (January 31, 1942 - February 19, 1994) was a British film director, stage designer, artist, and writer. ... The Garden is a 1990 British arthouse film by director Derek Jarman in association with Channel 4. ...

Music videos

Dungeness has begun to appear regularly in music videos, album covers and adverts. Dungeness appears on the covers of albums as diverse as So much for the city by The Thrills and Aled by Aled Jones. Kylie Minogues video to Spinning Around (2000) A music video (also video clip, promo) is a short film meant to present a visual representation of a popular music song. ... Generally speaking, advertising is the paid promotion of goods, services, companies and ideas by an identified sponsor. ... The Thrills are an Irish indie/pop band, formed in 2001 in Dublin. ... Aled Jones, (born 29 December 1970, Bangor, North Wales) is a Welsh singer and television personality who first came to fame as a boy soprano. ...

Other uses

The Dungeness Crab is not connected with Dungeness; it is named for Dungeness, Washington Binomial name Cancer magister Dana, 1852 The Dungeness crab is a type of crab that inhabits eel-grass beds and water bottoms from the Aleutian Islands in Alaska to Santa Cruz, California. ...

External links

• Dungeness Bird Observatory
• Dungeness acoustic mirrors
• Images of Dungeness