Romney Marsh, Dungeness and Rye

Derek Jarman’s house and garden in Dungeness

We do hope that you can join us on this trip which takes us to the region of Kent and East Sussex to visit Romney Marsh, Dungeness and Rye. The day will also include a fish and chip lunch and a hot drink at the famous Pilot Inn in Dungeness.

We plan to meet our Blue Badge Guide at Dobbies Garden Centre near Ashford when we will have time for a coffee and comfort stop. Throughout the day our guide will be your tour manager and entertaining storyteller.

From there we will drive to Romney Marsh, which is a mysterious region, rich in history and legend, and has been popular with artists and writers such as Noel Coward and Ian Fleming. We will stop and visit one of the fascinating medieval churches that pepper the landscape.

There are nearly 100 homes of different shapes and sizes dotted across the peculiar landscape of Dungeness. Some are old railway carriages dragged across the shingle nearly 100 years ago. Today they can change hands for a lot of money. You’ll see the tiny fisherman’s cottage that became the much-loved home of the filmmaker Derek Jarman and the world-famous garden he created in the shingle.

The Pilot Inn, where we will have lunch, is here, a stone’s throw from the sea within one of the most unique settings in the country.

Mermaid Street in Rye

Afterwards we will take a drive via Camber Sands to the charming town of Rye and our guide will pick out highlights for you. There will be time to browse and perhaps stop for a pot of tea before heading home at 4.45pm.

Cost: £70 to include coach, driver’s gratuity, guided tour and lunch