UK sells White Cliffs of Dover for £1 in Ministry of Defence auction

Buy a UK treasure for less than the cost of a postage stamp: The Cliffs of Dover SSSI. Photo / Callum Wale, Unsplash

The White Cliffs of Dover are a national landmark and symbol of the UK's maritime history, so you might be surprised to know that the UK's Ministry of Defence has put up the national treasure for sale.

The beach at the foot of the chalk cliffs has gone up for auction today for the nominal fee of £1 (or about $1.97).

The storied 7.48ha beach might be short of sunshine, but there's plenty of history.

Located on the Kingsdown conservation area, 10 km from Dover, it was first use by the Royal Marines as a shooting range in the late 1800s. It also saw some action during the Second World War as the site of evacuation for thousands of Dunkirk in 1939.

Bids for the beach start at $1.97. Photo / Lambert Smith Hampton Auctions, Supplied

Dubbed an "icon of Britain" by the UK conservation group the National Trust, the beach faces France across the English Channel. It's just 35 km away from Calais.

So, you might wonder why the strand is up for sale.

There is of course a catch. The low-lying beach is completely submerged at high tide, and its location on a Site of Special Scientific Interest makes it difficult to plan any beachside grand designs.

The beach abbuts the famous White Cliffs of Dover. Photo / Supplied, Lambert Smith Hampton Auctions

There is some scope for development, say auctioneers Lambert Smith Hampton, but it comes without planning permission.

Nearby beachfront properties in the town of Deal have recently sold for as much as $8million.

"The property comprises a former coastal military firing range and is now a section of beach and waterfront land adjacent to the White Cliffs of Dover," reads the property listing for 'Kingsdown Riflle Range'.

"The northern part of the site is wider and includes a beach, some flat grassland and some sea defences."

While it went up for auction last night for a nominal fee the closing bid at 4pm BST was £192,101.