An man made area of outstanding natural beauty. (Samphire Hoe (Dover))

Member Name: garymarsh6

Product:	Samphire Hoe (Dover)
Date:	25/08/09 (115 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A cheap educational day out for the kids and adults alike.

Disadvantages: Not nice in stormy weather.

Samphire Hoe.


I would say that most people have heard about the White Cliffs of Dover but I bet you have never heard of Samphire Hoe unless of course you are a local?

I recently wrote about the building of the channel tunnel in my review of the Eurostar and mentioned Samphire Hoe and thought at the time it would be a good idea for a review.

What is Samphire Hoe.

Samphire Hoe is the newest part of the British Isles which is man made land at the end of the North downs just below the White cliffs at Shakespeare cliffe to the west of Dover. It was created with the waste chalk marl from the drilling of the channel tunnel and some 4.9 million cubic meters of chalk marl was used in its creation.

When building the channel tunnel there was a problem of what to do with the excavated chalk and there were about sixty options available to them which meant transporting all of this chalk away from the area which was not really environmentally friendly by any means not to mention the cost. It was decided that it would be placed at the bottom of the cliffs of Dover creating a working platform for the tunnels construction. The problem was what would become of it after the completion of the tunnel and the idea of creating a natural environment for a nature reserve that could be enjoyed by everyone encouraging wild flora and fauna and animals to the area..
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They created a platform using this chalk that not only provided a means of dumping the chalk but to create a working centre during the construction of the tunnel with offices and laboratories on the site. It was started in 1988 and after the completion of the tunnel and removal of the offices it was opened to the public in 1998 as a natural nature reserve.

Local rare wild plants, flowers and grasses were planted along the platform and left to develop on their own. There is approximately one mile of sea wall defences from where people can fish. The fish that can be caught here include Codling, Pollack, Bass, dogfish and mackerel. Sometimes you can even catch crabs and squid. There are walkways throughout the area. A fishing permit is required.

How did it get its name?

During the building of the tunnel local paper the Dover Express and Eurotunnel ran a competition to choose a name for the place. A local teacher Janet Janaway came up with the idea Samphire hoe. A hoe is a peace of land jutting out into the sea and Samphire is a plant that is only found in this part of the UK that is picked around about May and leaf part pickled and used as a vegetable.

The area is actually owned by Eurotunnel and is run in conjunction with the white cliffs country side project.



Facilities.

There is a small cafeteria which is only open at certain times. It is open every Saturday and Sunday throughout the year and daily during the summer months. Parking is available right near the entrance which is reached by driving through a single file tunnel operated by traffic lights through the cliffs. The car park is a pay and display car park. There are toilet facilities here too. You have to buy a fishing permit from the kiosk if you want to fish.

People can walk around the pathways which are a combination of tarmac and fine crushed stones and small bridges that cross the man made lakes and the natural streams and it is also suitable for disabled people and wheelchairs. The path runs for approximately one mile and there is also the walkway along the sea wall which is approximately a mile long too. It is open from 7AM to Dusk. There are picnic areas here too but please take all your rubbish home with you and do not drop litter.

There are various activities organised by volunteers throughout the year. There may be a minimal charge for this IE £2 or you are asked to make a donation. This donation is used in the upkeep and maintenance of the area. Activities range from treasure hunts, talks about the wild plants IE the rare orchids that grow here, history walks and talks all undertaken by volunteers too.

It is a fantastic place for children they can look at nature at its best and there are views of the white cliffs and out to sea. It is a cheap day out if you are looking for things to do especially while the kids are on their long school holidays. Take along a picnic and it can be quite wonderful there in the summer months. There are information leaflets available to help you with your visit.



Volunteers.

There is a group of volunteers who help maintain the area and whilst not being paid they do get free parking down there. They organise clear up days along the water front and throughout the reserve. They take part in obtaining research by observing the wild life and reporting wildlife. They help by talking to visitors about the place. You can become a volunteer by contacting them on the following number: - 01304 225649.

How to get there.

The area can be reached either from Dover or Folkestone at the end of the M20 A2 Driving between Folkestone and Dover along the A20 follow the signs to the entrance.

Summary: A great opportunity to look at some rare flora and fauna.