To the east of Dover five
miles of countryside and coast are owned by the
National
Trust. Langdon Cliffs overlook the Straits of Dover
and are an excellent place to watch world’s busiest
shipping lanes. There is a visitor centre, known as
'The Gateway to the White Cliffs', with a coffee shop
and displays about the cliffs.
The
chalk cliffs, up
to 300 feet (100 m) high in places, are continuously
eroding and for safety you should always stay five metres
from the cliff edge. Made up of millions of small sea
creatures and coral from the bottom of an ancient tropical
ocean, the chalk is porous, soft and easily worn by
the action of the waves.
The chalk downland on top of the cliffs is very rare.
Many of the plants pre-date the last Ice Age and are
adapted to the thin chalk soils and traditional grazing
management. Many plants are almost unique to this part
of Kent.
