Writer takes up residence on the white cliffs of Dover

Julian Baggini has been commissioned by the National Trust to spend a week at the cliffs exploring through verse what this stretch of the Kent coast says about our nation.

The writer and philosopher will be based at South Foreland Lighthouse where he will delve into why the white cliffs have become so wrapped up with our national identity and the role they play in creating our sense of belonging, a National Trust spokesman said.

Mr Baggini was born in nearby Folkestone and his mother is from Dover. His father is an Italian whose first sight of his adoptive land in the early 1960s was the white cliffs of Dover.

“For millions of Britons living across the world, the white cliffs is a clear symbol of Britain, in much the same way that the Statue of Liberty has defined America. Even if we’ve never been to or seen the white cliffs of Dover, there is a collective sense that they matter,” he said.

“I want to get a real sense of what the white cliffs of Dover mean for British people, including those for whom the cliffs were the first sight of the country which would become their adopted home.”

During his residency Mr Baggini will be blogging and capturing on camera his thoughts and observations, as well as talking to people who live and work in the area and taking time out to travel to France for a fresh perspective and to debate their meaning with local experts, the National Trust spokesman said.

Mr Baggini said: “Many important episodes in our national story have taken place on this stretch of coast, so I also want to look at how its local history has shaped our national history.”

He went on: “My suspicion is that if we look, there is an insightful portrait of the nation to be found engraved in the chalky cliffs of east Kent.”

The National Trust is trying to raise £1.2m to acquire a stretch of the most famous segment of the cliffs. York-born Dame Judi Dench, singer Joss Stone and chef Rick Stein are backing the campaign and half the money needed has already been raised, according to the trust.

The purchase would fill in the missing link on a stretch of coast almost five miles-long, owned by the National Trust on behalf of the nation, from its visitor centre above Dover port to South Foreland Lighthouse.

Other high-profile figures who have lent their support include “Forces’ sweetheart” Dame Vera Lynn, actor Richard E Grant, yachtswoman Dame Ellen MacArthur and comedian and Kent resident Paul O’Grady.

The chalk cliffs stretching east from Dover are home to a rich array of wildlife, have stood over dramatic moments in English history and also featured in songs and poetry.

Mr Baggini’s blog begins today and runs until next Monday. It can be found at whitecliffsofdoverwriter.wordpress.com