Dover Things to Do

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This church inside Dover Castle was built around 1000 and is probably the best example of Saxon architecture left in Kent today. It seems strange to find a Saxon Church (next to a Roman Lighthouse) inside a Norman Castle, but the church was probably built within the earthworks of a Saxon Hill fort that may have been built around the start of the 11th century to defend the kingdom during these very troubled years.

Unfortunately the church is not nearly as impressive inside as it is outside, but still well worth a look whilst at Dover castle.

This Roman Lighthouse which now stands within Dover Castle is the remains of the pharos built in the 2nd century AD as the Romans developed the port of Dover. It's a strange octagonal building and only the outer walls of the lowest 4 floors survive. It may have been abandoned when the Romans left Britain but was probably back in operation at some point later as there are records of a lighthouse keeper as late as the 12th century. In the early 15th century the Duke of Gloucester rebuilt the top (now gone) of the tower as a bell tower for the adjacent church.

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The Great Tower of Dover Castle was actually built as a palace rather than a defensive building. It was built on the orders of King Henry II in the 12th century as a place he could welcome and impress important visitors to England.

Recently the Tower has been refurbished and redecorated to try to achieve what it may have looked like in 1189 when Henry welcomed Philip, Count of Flanders here. I've always fallen into the trap of seeing this period of history as a very grey and colourless time. Here the colours of the day are put on display for us all to see and when combined with the replicated smells of the day it is a real experience for the senses. There is also the chance of fantastic views across Dover from the roof.

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The Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment Museum was quite interesting.

The Royal Regiment was formed in 1992 by an amalgamation of The Queen's Regiment and The Royal Hampshire Regiment, and has been to most of the major battles.
The museum show cases the events as well as anything else to do with the Regiment, including Helmet's, many medals, Uniforms, a Victorian Cross, and many more excellent displays.

It is located near the Great Tower
OPEN.....Apr - Sept 10am-6pm, Oct 10am-5pm, Nov - Jan 10am-4pm (closed Tues and Wed), Feb-Mar 10am-4pm Closed: 24-26 Dec and 1 Jan.

It is included in the entry price of Dover Castle

There are two tunnels that you can do a tour through for free. [entry included in admission ticket]

The trouble is, when time is limited, we had to choose only one, so we chose the shorter tour. We had to queue as one tour was already on the way. Only a limited number of people are allowed on each tour, luckily, we managed to go on the next one.

So, let me tell you about the Tunnel's............

The Tunnels can only be seen by tour, with an informative tour guide who answered question's along the way.
The tour is actually a story about a wounded Pilot who was taken to the Hospital in the Tunnel. The hospital was constructed between 1941-1942, it had an operating theatre and medical dressing station that was used to repair the wounded Soldier's, and civilian's injured in the War. It traces his journey, until he was well enough to return to duty or home.
In this tunnel, we saw the kitchen's and where the women slept, plus all the old furniture and all the necessities to run these rooms, add in sounds and smells, and this makes it all the more interesting.

Imagine working day and night deep inside Dover Castle's top secret tunnels as war raged outside, trying to rescue the troops stranded at Dunkirk as German forces closed in. These people that worked in the Tunnel's did a marvellous job!

Tour about 30-40minutes

NO PHOTO'S ALLOWED!

The other underground tunnel, which we didn't have time to see, is "Operation Dynamo"

This one is about the rescue from Dunkirk and you will hear original news-reels and recordings, stories from surviving, and sounds and special effects.
I think this tour was about 1.5hours.

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From the township of Dover, we could easily see the mighty Dover Castle towering above the town.
Well, we had to find a way there, and that was easy, as in Dover, the road to the Castle was signposted with a Tourist Sign.
About three quarters the way up the hill, we turned right and followed the road to the Car park which is FREE.
There is a free little train that will take you around the Castle area, if this isn't working, then there is a shuttle vehicle.

No need to worry about food & drinks, as there are Ice-creams, Cafe & Restaurants. The shop sells souvenirs and toilets are located at the back, and there are more Toilets located elsewhere on the site.
Walking to the Castle is uphill, and there is quite a bit of walking to do.

Dover Castle is OPEN.....10 - 6pm
Last admission is 1hour before closing
The tour of the Secret War Tunnels is included in the price.

ADMISSION IN 2011....Adult£16.00..Child£9.60...Concession£14.40...Family Ticket£41.60

If you are a member of the English Heritage, then admission to the Castle is free.

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St Mary in Castro, is a church in the grounds of Dover Castle.

Coming from a "young country," I couldn't believe that I was inside a Saxon Church dating back to 1000, not just any old church, but a very historical one that has the earliest door arch to survive in any standing church in England!
There was an even older church here, built in the 600's!

Looking around, I could see it was old. On reading about the Church, I realized the tiles I had viewed were Roman tiles from the Roman Lighthouse which was used as a Bell tower for the Church. Renovation's were carried out over the following years with three altars and images of of St. Edmund, St. Adrian and St. Edward, along with an image of St. John the Evangelist being added in the 1200's. More was done over the years, until what I viewed today.

Plenty of history in this Church!

St. Mary is still being used today by the local's and the Army, I think that is amazing!

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The Great Tower, built by King Henry II, is an impressive looking 12th century square building, [the largest in Britain.]

There was a Castle built here in 1066 by William of Normandy, he moved to London, then King Henry II came along and had the Castle rebuilt, including the Keep in late 1180's.

The Tower is four stories high, this includes the basement, 1st floor, and the 2nd floor that takes up two stories, and the upper level has the Great Armour Hall and Murals.
The elaborate 2nd story, was where the "Royal's" lived, while the 1st floor wasn't so elaborate.

Inside, rooms have been set out like they would have been. In the large guest room, a woman dressed in period costume, was re-enacting Dinner at the "high table"in the early days. The diner's were the tourist's [you and me!]
The backcloth of the 'high table', is the centrepiece of the Guest Hall where Henry II would have dined and entertained foreign pilgrims and dignitaries. [see photo]
I saw different types of Armour, the Kings bed chamber and much more. I thought it was really well done!

From the very top, the views over Dover, and the rest of Dover Castle are excellent, so make the effort, it is worth it!

The website listed below, tells you when actors of King Henry's Royal court are there. Please check if you wish to visit on one of those days!