DUNGENESS, England — When Paul Schwartfeger, a London-based business strategy consultant, decided to buy a weekend house, he had no idea he would end up living in what is often referred to as Britain’s closest thing to a desert.
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“I spent a lot of time looking for the right place, and when I saw the house in Dungeness, I bought it within a week,” said Mr. Schwartfeger, who is also chairman of the Dungeness residents’ association. “The thing that strikes you most is the space here, the light and endless horizon. But the community of owners is also very close-knit.”
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One of the best-loved landscapes in Britain, Dungeness is also one of its most unusual. A three-mile-long shingle spit on the Kent coast, 75 miles southeast of London, it is a place some find bleak, though others say it is filled with a wild beauty. Also unusual is that the beach area is privately owned and is changing hands for the first time in more than 50 years. It was recently bought by EDF Energy, the owner of the nearby Dungeness B nuclear power station, for an undisclosed amount (the asking price was 1.5 million pounds, or $2.33 million).
The site needed new investment and energy, said Will Whittaker of the London-based property agency Strutt & Parker, which listed the site. “It hasn’t changed much in 40 years.”
The site, a designated and strongly protected nature reserve bordered by the English Channel, comprises 190 hectares, or about 470 acres, of natural shingle scattered with about 80 private residences. Of these, 22 have 70-year leases and were included in the sale.
The properties are chalet- or lodge-style homes converted from former railway cars abandoned in the early 20th century and put into use as accommodation by local residents. Now they are owned by fishing families who have lived there for generations and by more recent buyers like Mr. Schwartfeger, who work locally or commute to London.
Overlooking the site, and adding to the eerie atmosphere, is the block-like structure of Dungeness B power station, which is not part of the estate; neither is the Britannia pub or the two lighthouses, all on the beach.
Dungeness was bought by a businessman, Tim Paine, in the late 1950s. Since 1964 it had been held in a trust, a legal wrapper often used for inheritance purposes. The estate was managed by a number of trustees on behalf of the owners who inherited when Mr. Paine died in 1982.
“The trustees and beneficiaries of the estate are getting older and the estate is in good shape,” said Maurice Ede, the managing trustee, shortly before the sale. “We had to decide whether to test the market now or carry on, so we decided to see if there was any interest.”
According to Mr. Whittaker, from the property agency, there was significant interest, including some from international investment funds and British environmental and heritage organizations. The odd nature of the property, and the fact that it cannot be developed because of its protected status, means the estate makes no significant money from the one million tourists who visit each year.
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Mr. Schwartfeger said that residents had harbored concerns that a new owner might try to develop the site along more commercial lines but that they were optimistic about the purchase by EDF Energy. “The firm has been part of Dungeness for a long time,” he said. “There is already a relationship.”
Representatives from EDF Energy have met with residents to discuss the purchase and to address any concerns about the site’s future. “Dungeness B has been a part of the community for over 30 years,” said Martin Pearson, station director at the plant. “It was extremely important to both us and the residents that the estate continues to be managed responsibly, and purchasing the land offers the opportunity to ensure that.”
Mr. Schwartfeger said he believed the purchase was a sensible move for EDF Energy, helping to secure the area against further development. It also protects the company’s interests in terms of the shingle it has a contract to extract from the beach area for use in shoring up the power station’s defenses against coastal erosion.
“We’ve had more dialogue with EDF Energy since the sale in early November than we had with the previous owners in five years,” said Mr. Schwartfeger, who said he was, for the moment, relieved at the outcome. “Dungeness is a special place, and its residents aren’t just a line on a balance sheet.”