Accessible Britain

populated by grazing sheep and the occasional hamlet. It’s very atmospheric, especially
if you weave through the small interior roads, via Lympne (with great views from its
churchyard), Burmarsh and St Mary in the Marsh.
The coast road (A259) is faster, but less interesting – even the sea remains hidden
behind the giant sea wall lining the road. If you want a sea view, stop off at Dungeness,
on the southern tip of the headland. Set on a long shingle promontory, home to two
nuclear power stations, a lonely railway station (terminus of the Romney, Hythe and
Dymchurch light railway; 01797 362353, www.rhdr.org.uk) and a couple of lighthouses,
it can’t be said to be pretty, but it’s oddly compelling. There is also a clutch of fishermen’s
shacks dotted around the promontory; the windswept garden of Prospect Cottage,
designed by former owner, film director and artist Derek Jarman, is a fittingly understated
local attraction. An accessible boardwalk takes you over the shingle to the water’s edge,
and there’s an accessible café and disabled toilet in the station (open Easter–Sep).
Back in the car, head inland to Lydd – on the way, you’ll pass a signed turning on the left to
an RSPB nature reserve (01797 320588, www.rspb.org.uk), where you can admire abundant
birdlife from six wheelchair accessible hides. From Lydd, it’s a twenty-minute drive to Rye, a
picturesque medieval town. The old centre, perched on a hill, isn’t ideal for wheelchair users,
with its steep inclines and cobbled streets, but the attractive harbourside area below is pretty
level, and has a few disabled parking spaces and a RADAR key-accessible public toilet.
Turning inland from Rye on the B2082, you exchange the desolate lowland of the
Romney Marsh for rolling Kent downland, with orchards, hop fields and vineyards on
every side. It’s a startling transformation, and very pretty. Good stopping-off points
include Iden and Wittersham, a pair of quaint little villages with old churches, and
the bustling market town of Tenterden, with an appealing array of shops, tearooms
and pubs. To finish off, take the A262 to Goudhurst, a beautiful, red-roofed village
dramatically sited on the top of a hill, offering lovely views over the Kent Weald.
FOOD & DRINK aa In Rye, good seafood and steak are on offer at Carey’s (01797 224783)
at the harbourside; it has ramped access but no accessible toilet (there’s a public one
opposite). In Tenterden the White Lion Hotel (01580 765077) has level entry, an
accessible toilet, splendid food and a selection of award-winning ales.
THE SOUTHEAST
Prospect Cottage, Dungeness Beach
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