The Pines Calyx and Pines Garden
The Pines Calyx is a truly unique, carbon-negative building nestled amongst the white cliffs at St. Margaret’s Bay.
The Pines Calyx and Pines Garden
The Pines Calyx is a truly unique, carbon-negative building nestled amongst the white cliffs at St. Margaret’s Bay.
The walls of the Calyx are made out of chalk (rarely found as a building material) which has been rammed together to make it more solid, whilst the roof is a ‘Catalan vault’ design which creates a self-supporting dome.
Ecological considerations and the reduction of carbon emissions are central to the design and operation of the building and the surrounding gardens, this includes solar panels, a biomass generator, a reed bed water filtration system and a fully organic garden. The Pines Calyx is a conference centre available for hire, whilst the gardens, tearooms and museum are open to the public.
About Geosites
Geosites are sites of geological interest across the aspiring UNESCO Cross-Channel Global Geopark, where people can visit and interact with our geological heritage. This wide range of sites will offer varying opportunities and values including cultural, heritage, scientific, educational, and aesthetic.
About the aspiring UNESCO Cross-Channel Global Geopark
Hundreds of thousands of years ago a catastrophic flood swept away the chalk ridge connecting Dover and Calais, carving out the white cliffs of Dover and starting Britain’s history as an island.
Did you know the Kent and French coasts are actually still connected today by the layer of chalk which runs below the Channel?
In celebration of the chalk and the channel, we are working to secure UNESCO Cross-Channel Global Geopark status for the Kent Downs National Landscape together with our neighbouring protected landscape in France; the Parc Naturel Regional des Caps et Marais d’Opale.
The Geopark will include both the protected landscapes and the Channel connecting them, recognising and celebrating the geological connection between us.
