The UK is home to some of the most beautiful coastal towns in the world, some more celebrated than others. And there's one coastal spot that offers something rather unusual.

Dungeness, a seaside town in Kent, has often been overshadowed by its neighbour, Folkestone, which has garnered attention for its coastal charm and picturesque town, just 20 miles away. In comparison, Dungeness is vastly different, boasting one of Britain's most extraordinary landscapes, with its sprawling shingle beach that makes up the majority of Dungeness, giving it an "apocalyptic" feel.

With its flat, marshland extremities and roads frequented by bikers, Dungeness feels more like the setting for an American Western dystopian film than a location on England's south coast. Adding to its otherworldly atmosphere are the shipwrecks that lie scattered along the shingle beach.

While this shore holds an otherworldly atmosphere, it's a magnet for a diverse range of bird species, and there's a striking lighthouse, built in 1961, taking centre stage. Meanwhile, it remains a popular fishing spot, with colourful boats moored by the shore, and is located near the beloved Romney, Hythe, and Dymchurch Railway, which remains a beloved attraction.

Dungeness has often been plagued by rumours that it's technically the UK's only desert - a claim that the Met Office has debunked as a pure myth. Given the random assortment of shacks, homes and cafes scattered across the shingled headland, it's easy to see why some might believe this tale.

Time Out described Dungeness and said: "There's a vague apocalyptic feel about Dungeness, a little fishing town at the southernmost point of Kent. Its wild landscape of stark, shingle desert headland is overlooked by the imposing Dungeness Nuclear Power Station."

The pair of nuclear power stations, which once churned a section of nearby waters into a whirlpool, have remained silent and decommissioned for nearly 20 years. Rumour has it that waste hot water from the power station, dubbed A and B, is pumped into the sea, earning the name of 'The Patch' or 'The Boil' by fishermen due to the warmer waters.

It's a peculiar place, but that hasn't stopped visitors from praising the quirky beach town, as it was named one of the best seaside towns in the UK in Which?'s annual survey earlier this year. This proved a significant achievement for Dungeness, which only managed to secure 35th place in last year's rankings.

Additionally, it was rated as one of Britain's "quirkiest" seaside towns by Time Out earlier this year, and has been hailed as one worth visiting. Especially if you take into consideration that it was named as one of the best beaches in the world by The Telegraph last year.

Despite its accolades, some remain unconvinced. "Bleak is an understatement," one critic of the location shared on Reddit. Another commented: "Bleak to Dungeness is like 'a wee bit cold' in Antarctica. The missus loved it though..."

A third remarked: "I find it dismal down there. Old nuclear power station for a view." Another sensationally exclaimed: "You could legitimately film a post-apocalyptic zombie movie in Dungeness and you wouldn't have to change a thing."

Others adore Dungeness and appreciate its distinct character compared to other regions of the UK. Science writer Ben Goldacre recalled his experience of riding through Dungeness on the small railway that takes day-trippers down the coastline.

He wrote: "The Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway has a strange, dreamlike existence, on the border between fantasy and reality. You leave toy town in a cute miniature train, surrounded by excited children. But Disney, this is not.

"Suddenly you're riding through real life: past clothes lines, collapsing breezeblock walls, an abandoned washing machine in a back garden, chuffing along behind a miniature steam train. Finally, you're ferried across a beautiful, windswept shingle peninsula, spotted with railway carriage houses and abandoned shipping containers. Then you are delivered to the foot of a nuclear power station," Ben wrote.

"This meeting of toy train sets and grim industrial purpose is what makes the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway so perfect."