If you want an exciting day out, then this could be the day trip for you.
Just an hour away from London is a beach so secluded you have to venture through a World War Two tunnel and descend a rickety iron ladder just to touch its pebbles – if the tide hasn’t taken it over first.
Beneath the towering Langdon Cliffs near the white cliffs of Dover is a tiny pebbled beach only accessible via the Langdon Stairs. According to the National Trust, the seven metre ladder was likely an ancient smuggling route which was also used by coastguards in the 19th and early 20th century.
This petite beach is only accessible during certain points of the day, as a high tide will cover its shores completely, but if you manage to time the climb for the low tide, you might see the remains of a shipwreck.
Only visible at low tide, the wreck of the SS Falcon sits on the shore of Langdon Bay after it was towed there, ablaze, in the 1920s.
The ship caught fire in the Dover Strait in 1926 and was refused entry to Dover Harbour, so it was deliberately run aground in Langdon Bay. Now, just the lower ribs of the hull remain to be seen when the tide is out.
It’s not just the remains of a shipwreck to be spotted though. See if you can spot kestrels, peregrines and buzzards all of which live nearby.
London-based adventurer and hiker Zoe Tehrani documented her experience of exploring the cliffs and beach on Instagram.
She began her hike on the Stairs Trail which runs along the stunning cliff face, before entering the 35-metre tunnel which she described as “creepy”. However, upon reaching the beach, Zoe was thrilled.
Zoe plunged straight into the water, blown away by how clear it was. She said: “You can actually see my legs.”
For adventurers eager to see Langdon for themselves, there are signed pathways from the port, railway station and Dover town centre. From London it’s a quick hour on the train from St Pancras until you reach Dover Priory.
