The Battle of Britain Memorial
Considering one of us has lived only a few miles from this site her entire life, neither of us have ever been. It was only on our way back from one of our various Dover trips that we considered it, and when we looked into it we found we could indeed take Yogi and therefore we wouldn't have to visit in the very small dog free window we have.
We've driven past this site millions of times, little did we know that is is free, you just have to pay for parking. If we'd known we'd have been regular visitors as it is a very nice dog walking spot with amazing views.
However, it is of course a fairly morbid site, as it is dedicated mainly to those who did not make it back during the war, and when you look out to sea with the wall of names behind you, you can't help but wonder how many men are still lost within the calm blue waters.
The site was chosen by design for the memorial. Capel Le Ferne had seen action in both wars and this site specifically played its part by mooring planes for WW1 and later a gun battery and underground accommodation for WWII.
It is rumoured that the guns on this site hit Dungeness when first fired, and the army left the site in 1952. The battery, or part of it, still exists and very recently started opening for tours and gained charitable status. We are waiting patiently for the next open day as we were at Western Heights on the last date, but it was the sites Eastern side that was redeveloped into the BoB memorial.
Harry Gray, the sculptor who made the pilot overlooking the sea, lacked inspiration until his assistant sat down for a rest and the pose struck the artist as the perfect memorial piece. Since then, a simple visitor centre was crafted as well as the Wall of Names and several other memorial pieces as well as some replica planes from WWII.
The external site is dog friendly and a beautiful dog walk. The sea sparkles up at you, the grass is well maintained and the terrain is diverse enough to count as exercise. We got a little teary looking for unknown family members on the wall of names, but it made it clear that this was just those who were known of, it was a hauntingly beautiful site, and we'll return for sure with its modest car parking rates which help preserve the site, otherwise entry is free!
The site is reflective and calming. A great loss is felt here, but England's victory is also celebrated so all those lives lost were not in vain.
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