The (sometimes green) White Cliffs of Dover
The White Cliffs of Dover are one of England’s most iconic landmarks, which you can see nearly all the way to France (just 21 miles) on a clear day, or from the ferry.
Stay on marked trails, as chalk edges crumble easily. Wear sturdy shoes and bring a windproof jacket. And always take litter home, to keep plants and wildlife safe.
Obviously keep dogs away from cliffs (The National Trust has a useful page of tips to keep dogs, livestock and marine creatures/birds safe nearby, if visiting the area with your pooch). Read more on keeping dogs safe by the seaside.
The cliffs stay white due to natural erosion of fine limestone, and are home to many unique plants and insects (like the pyramidal orchid and chalkhill blue butterfly). When the cliffs are protected from erosion (like at Dover port), plants grow on them, so they are green. minutes).
No Bluebirds on the White Cliffs!
Despite the iconic song sang by forces sweetheart Vera Lyn, there are no bluebirds over the white cliffs of Dover. At least none have ever been spotted, though many other birds have!
The song was in fact an anti-war song, looking forward to a day when there would be peace. Dame Vera Lynn was very young when she sang the song (her friend Harry Secombe liked to joke that Churchill did not beat the Nazis – Vera ‘sang them to death!)’
She lived to the ripe old age of 103, spending her last days in the village of Ditchling, the highest point in East Sussex.
Voted ‘the person who most represents the spirit of the 20th century’, in 2009, feisty Vera took the BNP (British National Party) to court, for using her song on an anti-immigration album, without her permission. She was concerned this would link her name to their far-right views.
It later transpired that the BNP had not realised that another song was by a black artist, and another by Irving Berlin (famously Jewish).
Vera did not succeed, as the song was in the public domain. A spokesman for the BNP said of our national heroine: ‘She can complain, but it’s not going to do her any good’. Charming.
