The White Cliffs of Dover are undoubtedly one of Britain’s most famous coastal landscapes, and a most appropriate location to test the performance of the nautical-style clothing produced by a number of the cherished heritage brands that Mason & Sons represent. (All photographs by Rob Baker Ashton).
St. Margaret's Bay, Kent, England
We chose St. Margaret’s Bay as our specific landing point. It's as close to France as you could possibly be whilst standing on British soil (or rocks). Close enough, in fact, to confuse our mobile phones - which, on our arrival, reset themselves an hour ahead to Central European Time.
Look carefully, and you can see France
It was a cold, blustery, November day, but our maritime outfits of Camplin Peacoat and Pope & Bradley Submariner Sweater performed admirably. Despite their rugged appearance, both the coat and pullover are soft and light in weight. They offered perfect protection from the harsh wind blowing across the Dover Straits, together with a high degree of comfort… the signature “cordage” of the Camplin Peacoat allowing ample room for the sweater’s roll-neck when fastened to the top.
British winters demand well shod feet
The walk along the pebble beach called for sturdy footwear, which was kindly supplied by Tricker's in the form of their Burton Country Shoe - a style which is also available in boot form.
Preparing for an act of astonishing bravery
The danger sign, positioned in front of a small cluster of buildings at the most easterly tip of St Margaret’s Bay, suggested that we may be reaching an exciting moment in our excursion. The properties were once owned by British playwright Nöel Coward, who originally bought the house with the red-tiled roof in 1945, before acquiring the remaining homes to secure his privacy.
The dramatic location of the "White Cliffs" residence
Nöel Coward named the house “White Cliffs”, using it as a holiday home to entertain his circle of famous friends from the arts, stage and film, including Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracey, Daphne Du Maurier, John Mills and Gertrude Lawrence, and a very special guest, Ian Fleming, who fell in love with the place. In 1951, Fleming bought the property from Coward and used it as a weekend retreat until 1958. He wrote the majority of his James Bond novels during this period, including Moonraker (1955) in which St. Margaret’s Bay and local town, Deal, became key locations.
The white chalkface: a symbol of home and wartime defence
Moonraker is unique amongst 007 novels in that the hero doesn’t get to leave the British Isles for some exotic location, with all of the action taking place between two areas that Fleming loved, London clubland and the Kent countryside. It is on the route between London and Deal that Bond loses his beloved Bentley, and it is upon the clifftops between Deal and St. Margaret’s Bay that his enemy, Sir Hugo Drax, positions his missile launch facility.
As we started to lose the light, we headed to Deal, and without a Bond villain in sight, we decided to do what Nöel Coward, Ian Fleming, James Bond, and everyone who’s ever been to a British coastal town should do…. eat fish and chips on the seafront.
When in Britain, do as the British do
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