Walmer Design Statement - Dover District Council

2 The Parish of WalmerWalmer lies seven miles northeast of Dover, in East Kent, on a stretch of coastwhich extends from the famous White Cliffs to Sandwich Bay and the Isle ofThanet to the north. The shape of the parish is that of a long, thin trianglepointing to the north.To the north, the boundary between Walmer and Deal lies just before DealCastle, which, with its sister, Walmer Castle, dominates this part of the coastline.To the east is the natural boundary of the English Channel, reaching across theGoodwin Sands to the coast of France. The northernmost part of the parish,called Lower Walmer, is only just above sea level. Extending directlysouthwards along the coast, from Deal Castle and past Walmer Castle, is thethrough road to the former fishing village of Kingsdown – a distance of abouttwo miles. On the east side of the road is the coastal strip – comprising mainlymarine grassland, rich with wild flowers, and bordering the wide and steeplyshelved shingle beach.Inland from, and to the south of, Walmer Castle the coastal downs rise steeplyto a height of around 100 feet to form the undulating farmland that runssouthwards and westwards from Upper Walmer.The southern boundary, forming the base of the triangle, runs east to westthrough this rolling countryside and is about 1.5 miles in length. Panoramicviews to Deal and beyond are available from various points in Upper Walmer.The two mile long western boundary lies close to the Mill Hill ridge, where theearliest signs of settlement in the area, some dating from Neolithic times, havebeen discovered. This border is marked by the railway line which runssouthwest from Lower Walmer to Dover, as does the A258 which, as DoverRoad, roughly bisects the parish.2