The nuclear power station at Dungeness is surrounded by Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and a National Nature Reserve (NNR). To the left of the picture you can see part of the sea defences for the power station. Every year hundreds of tonnes of shingle are transported around the coast to be deposited here, protecting the power station and the surrounding shingle habitat from the natural coastal process.
TR0816 : Dungeness railway station This photo, like others taken from the lighthouse, shows that the shingle has built up in ridges, presumably due to storms. This is even more noticeable on satellite images of the area. The effect is rather like the rings of a tree trunk.