Samphire Hoe

Samphire Hoe is an entirely man-made landscape - literally built from chalk spoil excavated during the Channel Tunnel construction in the 1990s. It sits on the Kent coast between Folkestone and Dover, a 74-acre headland that shouldn't exist but somehow does, and it's genuinely worth a visit.

You get a proper walk here, with paths looping across grassland, wildflower meadows, and access to a shingle beach. The whole setup is deliberately low-key - no buildings, no facilities, just open ground with views across the Channel. On clear days you can see France, which feels almost too close for comfort. The geology is fascinating if you're into that sort of thing: all those layers of white chalk exposed and already colonised by coastal plants.

Walkers will get the most from this. Families with young kids might find it a bit sparse after the first twenty minutes - there's nothing to actually do, just roaming. But if your lot enjoys nature spotting and long horizons, it works. The wildflowers in spring and summer draw proper botanists. Bring binoculars for birdwatchers too.

It's free and open year-round. Allow 90 minutes to two hours for a decent circuit. Windy doesn't begin to cover it - this place takes a battering from the Channel, so dress appropriately.

Combine it with Varne Ridge Holiday Park just 1.9 miles away if you're staying locally. The caravan parks around St Margaret's Bay and further west near Hawthorn Farm work well for a coastal base, though Samphire Hoe is genuinely unique - nowhere else on the south coast feels quite like it.