Walmer yachts whistling in the wind

The artic freeze continues and boy, is it cold out today. The snow lingers on the beach, and just listening to the wind whistling through the yacht masts is enough to give you a chill. I know that people swim in the sea all year but can you imagine!


Beached



A snowy beach walk to Walmer, Kent

Walmer beach on a snowy Sunday in February

In the need to find cider for a Simon Hopkinson recipe with pork and endives, we donned several layers of clothes, hats and gloves and took to the beach-side path that runs between Kingsdown and Walmer, past Walmer Castle, where the Queen Mother was Head of the Cinque Ports when she was alive. This is a really pretty coastal walk, with summer wild flowers including pink and white valerian, poppies and sea cabbage, tons of fennel, and garden orphans including loads of hot pokers. But, today's newly emerging plants are hidden under a deep sweep of snow. The native evergreen Holm Oaks which have been widely written about have taken a blast from the North East, leaving their South West flanks green.

Beach Holm Oaks in the snow at Walmer

This is around a two mile walk each way, and there are a number of watering holes at either end. The Stag is a popular pub serving some good ales including Bombadier, Sussex Best and Black Sheep. On a Sunday, the hospitality extends to free nibbles of crisps and some very welcome hot and crispy roast potatoes. This pub is particularly popular with the locals.

The Stag, Walmer by the sea

Snow falls on Kingsdown beach

Seaside in the snow...
A rather dark, sleety end to January with the occasional flakes of snow, as we see the temperatures drop to around zero. Weather nothing like that of the previous year, which saw surfboards acting as snow sledges and people shooting down the steep shingle Kingsdown beach slopes into the icy sea below. The Zetland Arms, www.thezetland.co.uk one of the oldest pubs in the area with great seafood and a fine selection of beers, did a roaring trade.

The sea today

What a fabulous sun-spangled sea on a bright Sunday morning in January. This is my sea - it crashes against the sea wall and makes such a thunderous roar. It's why i love living in Kingsdown and moved here permanently in 2009 with Daniel, my partner and two mouse-catching miscreants, Maximus and Archibald (who definitely don't like the sea as much as me).

Sea smashing seawall at Kingsdown, Deal, Kent