Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Exploring the Warren


 "...how, in short, he was for an hour or two in the enjoyment of such bliss
 as can be enjoyed only in communion with Nature .... 
If you gentle reader, would wish for such pleasure
as was evidenced by these private demonstrations,
it is attainable on the Warren,
which I counsel you strongly to visit,
not once, nor twice, but often."

The Rambles of a Naturalist Round Folkestone Etc by H. Ullyett B.sc. (1880)



 The Englishman took me for a walk this week to explore his childhood playground.  

His parents live facing the cliffs with inspiring views of the 
English Channel and the White Cliffs of Dover.  

It is a magical place full of so many shades of blue and green.  It takes your breath away.  
And every time I look out the colors of the water shift. 


There are three Martello Towers nearby.  
They were built around 1805 to protect the Southern Coast of England
 from the threatened invasion of Napoleon.  One of them is even available for overnight stays.  

In the photo above, the green area in front of the Martello Tower is the sight of an ancient Roman Villa that was excavated in the early 1900's and again recently. The site has since been covered over again.

Via

But can't you just imagine what it would have looked like thousands of years ago?

 
The cliffs are also the site of two WWII observation bunkers.  What a great place for young boys to explore and play.

The cliffs are eroding away at a rate of more than a foot a year and are constantly changing.  It's a popular sight to search for artifacts and fossils.

We followed a path down the cliff and onto the beach to explore.  


















 We even spotted a seal!  See that little black spot?
 And of course, I didn't have the telephoto lens with me.  Bummer. 

It was a lovely way to while away a few hours.  
TE even missed the start of the final football game of the season to take me exploring.
Now, that's devotion.  

xoxo
Selena 

4 comments:

  1. Gorgeous and so green. Glad you got some blue skies!

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  2. I'd love to get out of the city and do more country walks and seaside hikes. So pretty! Enjoy the countryside!

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  3. Beautiful pictures. Now I want to go for a walk on the beach.
    In April we visited a Martello Tower in Fort Beaufort in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. It is the only Martello Tower in the world that was constructed inland and not on the coast.

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  4. How lucky you were to explore this beautiful coastline on a sunny day! My daughter's at Oxford, and she has been experiencing rain and wind day after day for ages, now. Thanks for this uplifting post!

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