Dungeness Old Lighthouse

The Old Lighthouse at Dungeness is a proper curiosity - a Victorian brick tower standing incongruously on one of England's most bizarre landscapes. You'll find it surrounded by shingle, modern nuclear power stations, and fishing boats in various states of repair. It's been decommissioned for years, but the structure itself is striking enough to warrant the drive out to this remote corner of Kent.

What you actually get is the exterior and immediate surroundings. It's a short walk from the main Dungeness Road, and honestly, most visitors spend twenty minutes photographing it before heading to the nearby Power Station Visitor Centre or the RNLI lifeboat museum. It's free to look at from outside, which is the only way you'll see it anyway - there's no public access to climb the tower.

History types will find it interesting enough. Built in 1874, it was replaced by the modern automated lighthouse further along the shingle, making this one redundant but photogenic. The contrast between the old Victorian engineering and the brutalist power station behind it tells you something about how this landscape has been reshaped.

It works best as part of a longer Dungeness walk rather than a standalone stop. You're really in the middle of nowhere here, about three miles from New Romney, so base yourself at one of the nearby caravan parks - Parkdean Resorts Romney Sands or New Romney Caravan Park are closest - and explore the whole shingle peninsula properly. Allow an hour to see the lighthouse and wander the immediate area, maybe more if you're keen on industrial heritage or birdwatching.