A beach at Britain’s iconic White Cliffs of Dover is up for sale for $1.80 – but there’s a catch.
The land, currently owned by Britain’s Ministry of Defence, is being auctioned in the UK today with bids starting at £1 ($A1.80).
However, the 7.48ha beach is completely underwater when the tide comes in, and only appears when the tide is out.
It is being sold by auctioneers Lambert Smith Hampton and was first used as a shooting range by the Royal Marines in 1856.
Now, it is just a beach that’s part of the Kingsdown Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), located near the town of Kingsdown, Kent, and less than 10km from the Dover cliffs.
Bids for the beach start at $1.80. Picture: Lambert Smith Hampton Auctions/TNGSource:Supplied
The famous White Cliffs of Dover. Picture: VisitBritain/Jason HawkesSource:Supplied
The White Cliffs of Dover, a major attraction on England’s southeastern coast facing France, is considered to be an “icon of Britain” by the National Trust.
Famous for their striking appearance, the white chalk cliffs are also considered a sentimental place, being the last sight of Britain for travellers leaving by boat across the Channel, and the first sight of home for those returning, such as the British troops who were rescued from Dunkirk in World War II.
The land is currently owned by the Ministry of Defence. Picture: Lambert Smith Hampton Auctions/TNGSource:Supplied
It was formerly used as a shooting range for Royal Marines. Picture: Lambert Smith Hampton Auctions/TNGSource:Supplied
“The property comprises a former coastal military firing range and is now a section of beach and waterfront land adjacent to the White Cliffs of Dover,” the property reading said.
“The property itself forms part of the Dover to Kingsdown Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and part of the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
“The site comprises a narrow section of beach to the southern end that is covered by the sea during high tides. The northern part of the site is wider and includes a beach, some flat grassland and some sea defences. The property may suit some development in this area (subject to obtaining the necessary consents).”
At high tide the beach is completely submerged by the sea. Picture: Lambert Smith Hampton Auctions/TNGSource:Supplied
The beach is easy to get to from the nearest town of Kingsdown in Kent. Picture: Lambert Smith Hampton Auctions/TNGSource:Supplied
Of course, being an auction, the sale is likely to be much more than a pound.
The lucky buyer will also need to stump up a £1200 ($A2195) admin fee including value-added tax (VAT) if the winning bid is more than £20,000 ($A36,590), or £360 ($A659) inclusive of VAT if less than that.
The auction was due to be held for four hours on Wednesday, UK time.
The beach is also close to the highly covetable town of Deal, where a four-bedroom beachfront home sold for $7.3 million, according to The Times.
This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission
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