Where else is otherworldly like Orford Ness or Dungeness?

[Norahh]

For an overnight from London - 4hrs drive max - either landscape or abandoned buildings?

Brimham Rocks, North Yorkshire.

There is a Michael Morpugo short story about Bradwell - he grew up there. It tells you a lot about the history of the place. It’s in the book “Singing for Mrs Pettigrew” which is his autobiography mixed with short stories.

The old Dinorwic slate quarries, they have names like California, Never never land, Mordor, The Lost worlds. I used to live in the village and was a keen slate rock climber in the 90s and spent a lot of time there. Some of them can only be reached via tunnels and some of the tunnels and paths are quite dangerous. I remember in one of the quarries a large old miners building and there were still coats hung up on the pegs, must have been from at least the 1960s as that’s when the quarry closed but to be honest the clothing looked more 1940s???

Foggin Tor Quarry on dartmoor

Further than you want, but Heptonstall in Lancs gives me this sort of feeling, especially if you visit in winter. It's all quiet cobbled streets, old buildings and no cars in the village as it's too narrow. The church is built next to the left ruins of the old and there is a hexagonal Methodist chapel nearby (hexagonal so that the devil can't hide in the corners I believe). Sylvia Plath is buried there. Beautiful but bleak

In summer, it's gotten more popular than it used to, so looses some of it's edge of the world feeling. Likewise the nearby moorland.

Then go to the top of Malham cove for the limestone pavement

I second Salisbury Plain, where old rusted parts of military vehicles look like fragments of huge skeletons. Like twisted spines. Eerie 'ghost villages', such as Imber, used for practise.

Call in on Avebury stones on the way there/back.

I find the Lancashire coast other-worldly. Not like Dungeness, but very flat and bleak, in a fascinating way. Start at Gormley's statues on Crosby beach and drive North towards St Helen's and Blackpool.

Wash your mouth out @MaJoady
Heptonstall is in West Yorkshire!

I find the Lancashire coast other-worldly. Not like Dungeness, but very flat and bleak, in a fascinating way. Start at Gormley's statues on Crosby beach and drive North towards St Helen's and Blackpool.

And on up beyond there. Estuaries on morecambe bay with seabirds and shimmering channels of water.
Tidal creeks (up there eg skippool and elsewhere) may have the sort of vibe the op is after - old boats, sometimes in use, others left there to die.

Ohhh also, Google “the Broomway”! I’m desperate to do this walk, it sounds so eerie and wonderful

Look at Pagham, Snettisham, Portland

Came to suggest Shingle Street but see you have been there.

Rye Harbour out of season. Pett Levels

Royal Victoria Country Park near Southampton. It’s got a weird spooky vibe!

Cwm Ystwyth - abandoned mine and houses
Parys Mountain - colourful layers of rock in abandoned quarry.

Don’t know if this is what you are after but there is a spooky sort of time-piled-up-on-itself feeling at London Wall. There’s a car park somewhere near the Walbrook where you can see a section of exposed Roman wall, above it there is medieval London Wall, and towering above that is 1960s concrete. Very odd all mashed together- gives me time vertigo.

I took a boat trip up the Thames yesterday to see the forts in the Estuary - I can see someone recommended Red Sands Fort up thread and there definitely is that otherworldly feeling there.
The trip back to London along the river passing all the heavy industry along the Essex coast and the relatively rural Kent coast and then to see London rise up in front of you is really quite an emotional experience! Almost awe inspiring.

https://waverleyexcursions.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/London-Thames-Estuary-2024-Timetable.pdf

last tripof the season is 13th October

The Denge Sound Mirrors are good.

Huge concrete structures built in the war, abandoned and isolated, surrounded by lakes and shingle, and you can only go on Open Days organised by the RSPB as the area is now a bird reserve. https://events.rspb.org.uk/events/11966?sid=eyJpdiI6IjIxTWkyS0NESDNTTFhiTjRTZzMzZlE9PSIsInZhbHVlIjoiK0ZCTXdnVHp3OGFibFlPUGtGcFZqSkgzekd0WnJZakRacitKQXQwc1pYT3FVMjFWZGowNkhuSUkveVZjcHYwNHBVcUZHdlp5UGUydkM2Wk5RcVVtb1E9PSIsIm1hYyI6ImM0MzdjYzNiZTlkZGM3M2Q2YjI2NjVhNjg3MjU5NzIyODZkMDY4ZWViYTA1OGE2ZmQ3M2YxMTQ1YjU0MWJiNTYiLCJ0YWciOiIifQ%3D%3D

Though you can get glimpses from the public footpaths that go as far as the fence for the reserve.