A slice of one of the country’s most unique landscapes has been sold at auction for £72,250.

Auctioneers Clive Emson sold the 26-acre plot alongside the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway at Dungeness, which contains military ruins dating back to the Napoleonic wars with France, at an online sale on September 21.

The site, which is located between Battery Road in the south and Kerton Road to the north, had been listed with a guide price of £55-58,000.

As it sits within a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), the new owners of the land would be required to ensure any changes planned for the site do not have an impact on wildlife.

According to the auctioneers, part of the site incorporates the remains of a Napoleonic fort erected to deter any potential invasion from across the Channel.

Auctioneer Kevin Gilbert said: "This is a fascinating lot because part of it was home to a fort built, we believe, in 1798.

"It was raised to defend the coast in case the French invaded during the Napoleonic wars.

"We believe it was extended in 1860 and was a self-contained triangular fort, traces of which remain.

"It was reoccupied during World War Two and now has a new owner."

Also sold at the action was a Methodist chapel on The Street in Appledore, near Ashford, which sold for £220,950, having been initially offered with a freehold guide price of £180-190,000.

The Wesleyan place of worship was built in about 1836 and includes a porch, vestry, worship hall, offices, kitchen, toilet and side lobby.

Mr Gilbert said: "Churches and chapels are regular features of our sales and this is an attractive building.

"It might well lend itself to conversion into residential accommodation, as long as all necessary consents are obtainable."