The name Dungeness most probably comes from the French interpretation of 'dangerous nose'.
There have been six lighthouses or warning beacons at Dungeness. The first was just a beacon, warning sailors to keep clear. Then the first lighthouse was built in 1615, although was replaced 20 years later by a lighthouse nearer the sea. As the headland was extended further, a newer lighthouse was erected in 1792, with yet another in needing to be built in 1901, as more and more shingle was thrown onto the beach. The latest lighthouse was constructed in 1961.
There are two nuclear power stations at Dungeness, the first built in 1965 and the second in 1983.
A railway station was opened at Dungeness on 1st April 1883 and closed 70 years later. The Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway, a 1 ft. 3 in (381 mm) gauge light railway, opened to New Romney in 1927, and extended to Dungeness a year later.
