Misplaced Pages

#582417

60-566: Dover Castle is a medieval castle in Dover , Kent , England and is Grade I listed. It was founded in the 11th century and has been described as the "Key to England" due to its defensive significance throughout history. Some writers say it is the largest castle in England, a title also claimed by Windsor Castle . This site may have been fortified with earthworks in the Iron Age or earlier, before

120-413: A hoarding or brattice. Stone machicolations performed a similar function. The introduction of gunpowder made tall castle walls vulnerable to fire from heavy cannon , which prompted the trace italienne style from the 16th century. In these fortifications, the height of the curtain walls was reduced, and beyond the ditch, additional outworks such as ravelins and tenailles were added to protect

180-650: A Travelodge Hotel and a Cineworld Cinema. The Dover Harbour Board is the responsible authority for the running of the Port of Dover. The English Channel , here at its narrowest point in the Straits of Dover, is the busiest shipping lane in the world. Ferries crossing between here and the Continent have to negotiate their way through the constant stream of shipping crossing their path. The Dover Strait Traffic Separation Scheme allots ships separate lanes when passing through

240-454: A large force. The English, stricken with fear at his approach had confidence neither in their ramparts nor in the numbers of their troops ... While the inhabitants were preparing to surrender unconditionally, [the Normans], greedy for money, set the castle on fire and the great part of it was soon enveloped in flames...[William then paid for the repair and] having taken possession of the castle,

300-793: A mixed military school in Dover. Both grammar schools require the Dover Test or the Kent Test for admission to Year 7. Duke of York's Royal Military School is a selective secondary school with academy status and England's only military boarding school for children of service personnel (co-education ages 11–18), located next to the former site of Connaught Barracks . Non-selective secondary schools There are fjewwr ex- secondary modern mixed schools in Dover, all with academy status . Astor Secondary School federated with St Radigunds Primary School (then renamed White Cliffs Primary College for

360-499: A £330m investment in the area. It has also been a point of destination for many illegal migrant crossings. The Port of Dover provides much of the town's employment, as does tourism including to the landmark White Cliffs of Dover . There were over 368,000 tourists visiting Dover castle in the year of 2019. Dover is classified as a Large-Port Town, due to its large volumes of port traffic and low urban population. Archaeological finds have shown that there were Stone Age people in

420-743: Is a town and major ferry port in Kent , South East England . It faces France across the Strait of Dover , the narrowest part of the English Channel at 33 kilometres (21 mi) from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maidstone . The town is the administrative centre of the Dover District and home of the Port of Dover . Archaeological finds have revealed that

480-490: Is an adaptation of the English name Dover . The current name was in use at least by the time of Shakespeare's King Lear (between 1603 and 1606), in which the town and its cliffs play a prominent role. Louis VIII of France landed his army, seeking to depose King Henry III , on Dover's mainland beach. Henry III ambushed Louis' army with approximately 400 bowmen atop The White Cliffs of Dover and his cavalry attacking

540-420: Is designed to lay afloat. Built from fibre reinforced composite (FRC) the boat is lightweight yet very strong and is designed to right itself in the event of a capsize. There are seven secondary level schools serving Dover. Public schools Dover College is a mixed public school founded in 1871 by a group of local business men. Selective secondary schools There are two single-sex grammar schools and

600-497: Is located further out along the pier. The ferry lines using the port are (number of daily sailings in parentheses): These services have been cut in recent years: Dover's main communications artery, the A2 road replicates two former routes, connecting the town with Canterbury. The Roman road was followed for centuries until, in the late 18th century, it became a toll road . Stagecoaches were operating: one description stated that

660-621: Is located in Whitfield, 4 miles north of Dover. Technical College Curtain wall (fortification) Evidence for curtain walls or a series of walls surrounding a town or fortress can be found in the historical sources from Assyria and Egypt. Some notable examples are ancient Tel Lachish in Israel and Buhen in Egypt. Curtain walls were built across Europe during the Roman Empire ;

SECTION 10

#1732771855583

720-769: Is on the Stagecoach Diamond network providing links to Canterbury and Deal . The Western Docks at the port of Dover are served from the town centre as well as Canterbury and Deal. Dover is the start of The Wave network to New Romney via Folkestone , Hythe and Dymchurch . There are services to Lydd via Lydd Airport , and links to Sandwich . National Express runs coaches from Dover to other towns in Kent including Canterbury, Folkestone, Ashford, Kent , Maidstone , Gillingham at Hempsted Valley shopping centre and Greenhithe at Bluewater Shopping Centre for Dartford to London including Bexleyheath , Eltham , Walworth , Canary Wharf , Elephant & Castle ,

780-504: Is possible along the coast, since the cliffs are on the sea's edge. The railway, being tunnelled and embanked, skirts the foot of the cliffs. Dover has an oceanic climate (Köppen classification Cfb ) similar to the rest of the United Kingdom with mild temperatures year-round and a light amount of rainfall each month. The warmest recorded temperature was 37.4 °C (99.3 °F), recorded at Langdon Bay on 25 July 2019, While

840-517: The Doctor Who episode The Mind of Evil , Wolf Hall , The Hollow Crown and The Amazing Race 31 . The medieval setting has also been used in films such as Lady Jane (1986), Hamlet (1990), To Kill a King (2003), The Other Boleyn Girl (2007), Into the Woods (2014), and Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015). Dover Dover ( / ˈ d oʊ v ər / DOH -vər )

900-833: The Anglo-French Survey undertaken between 1784 and 1790, which used trigonometric calculations to link the Royal Greenwich Observatory with the Paris Observatory . This work was overseen by General William Roy . Massive rebuilding took place at the end of the 18th century during the Napoleonic Wars . William Twiss , the Commanding Engineer of the Southern District , as part of his brief to improve

960-560: The Romans invaded in AD 43 . This is suggested on the basis of the unusual pattern of the earthworks which does not seem to be a perfect fit for the medieval castle. Excavations have provided evidence of Iron Age occupation within the locality of the castle, but it is not certain whether this is associated with the hillfort. The site also contains one of Dover's two Roman lighthouses (or pharoses), one of only three surviving Roman-era lighthouses in

1020-647: The Saxon Shore Way and the North Downs Way . The National Trust White Cliffs can be reached by foot from the town centre, with pathways to South Foreland Lighthouse , and St Margarets Bay along the cliff top . The walking routes from Dover pass the National Trust visitor centre on the landmark chalk cliffs overlooking the English Channel with views of France visible on a clear day. Two National Cycle Network routes begin their journey at

1080-843: The South Eastern Railway's main line connected with Folkestone in 1844, and the London, Chatham & Dover Railway opened its line from Canterbury in 1861. Southeastern trains run from Dover Priory to London Charing Cross , London Victoria or London St Pancras International stations in London, and Ramsgate or Sandwich in Kent. With the introduction of the high-speed service into St Pancras International via High Speed 1 , rail journey times between London and Dover were reduced to 55 minutes non-stop. The Chatham Main Line into Priory

1140-717: The Arts) to form the Dover Federation for the Arts (DFA). Subsequently, Barton Junior School and Shatterlocks Nursery and Infant School joined the DFA. In 2014, the DFA was warned by the Department for Education about "unacceptably low standards of performance of pupils ". St Edmund's Catholic School federated with St Richards Catholic Primary School to form the Dover Federation of Catholic Schools. Dover Christ Church Academy

1200-570: The Association of Leading Visitor Attractions, 368,243 people visited Dover Castle in 2019. The Queen's & Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment Regimental Museum is located in the castle. Dover Castle remains a Scheduled Monument , which means it is a "nationally important" historic building and archaeological site that has been given protection against unauthorised change. It is also a Grade I listed building , and recognised as an internationally important structure. The Lord Warden of

1260-684: The Cinque Ports is officially head of the castle, in his conjoint position of Constable of Dover Castle , and the Deputy Constable has his residence in Constable's Gate. In October 2021, the castle was one of 142 sites across England to receive part of a £35 million grant from the government's Culture Recovery Fund . There are two sacred places within the grounds of the castle: The castle has been used by productions in TV series such as

SECTION 20

#1732771855583

1320-704: The City of London and to Victoria Coach Station . The Dover lifeboat is a Severn class lifeboat based in the Western Docks. Dover Lifeboat station is based at crosswall quay in Dover Harbour. There is a Severn-class lifeboat , which is the biggest in the fleet. It belongs to the RNLI which covers all of Great Britain. The lifeboat number is 17–09 and has a lot of emergencies in the Channel. The Severn class

1380-484: The Coast Blockade Service to combat smuggling . This was a short-term endeavour, though, and in 1827 the headquarters were moved closer to shore. The tunnels then remained abandoned for more than a century. Between 1856 and 1858, Anthony Salvin constructed a new officer's barracks to the south of the castle. Salvin was responsible for the exterior, which he designed in a Tudor Revival style, while

1440-564: The Conqueror and his forces marched to Westminster Abbey for his coronation. They took a roundabout route via Romney , Dover and Canterbury. From the Cinque Ports foundation in 1050, Dover has always been a chief member—it may also have been this that first attracted William's attention, and got Kent the motto of Invicta . In the words of William of Poitiers : Then he marched to Dover, which had been reported impregnable and held by

1500-524: The Duke spent eight days adding new fortifications to it'. The Castle was first built, entirely out of clay. It collapsed to the ground and the clay was then used as the flooring for many of the ground-floor rooms. In 1088, eight knights were appointed under tenures to guard Dover Castle. Their names were William d'Albrincis, Fulberl (or Fulbert) de Dover, William d'Arsic, Geoffrey Peverell, William Maminot, Robert du Port, Hugh Crevecoeur, and Adam Fitzwilliam. It

1560-671: The Emperor Caligula , possibly in preparation for an invasion of Britain. Suetonius refers to Caligula's "erection of a tall lighthouse, not unlike the one at Pharos , in which fires were to be kept going all night as a guide to ships". Coastal erosion led to it toppling into the sea in 1644. Engravings of its height may show how the Dover Roman lighthouse once looked. After the Battle of Hastings in October 1066, William

1620-565: The Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club to the town of Sandwich. In Sandwich the route links with Regional route 15. Dover town centre is cycle friendly: There are dedicated cycle lanes along the seafront and cycle routes through the town's pedestrianised High Street area. The Port of Dover is a 20-minute walk from Dover Priory railway station . The port offers crossings to both Calais (DFDS, P&O and Irish Ferries) and Dunkerque (DFDS). The Dover to Dunkirk ferry route

1680-666: The Second World War. After the war the tunnels were to be used as a shelter for the Regional Seats of Government in the event of a nuclear attack . This plan was abandoned for various reasons, including the realisation that the chalk of the cliffs would not provide significant protection from radiation, and because of the inconvenient form of the tunnels and their generally poor condition. Tunnel levels are denoted as A - Annexe, B - Bastion, C - Casemate, D - Dumpy and E - Esplanade. Annexe and Casemate levels are open to

1740-577: The Soviet 1:10,000 city plan of Dover that was produced in 1974. The port would have served as an embarkation point for sending reinforcements to the British Army of the Rhine in the event of a Soviet ground invasion of Europe. In 1974, a discovery was made at Langdon Bay off the coast near Dover. It contained bronze axes of French design and is probably the remainder of the cargo of a sunken ship. At

1800-579: The Strait. The Scheme is controlled by the Channel Navigation Information Service based at Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre Dover. MRCC Dover is also charged with co-ordination of civil maritime search and rescue within these waters. The Port of Dover is also used by cruise ships. The old Dover Marine railway station building houses one passenger terminal, together with a car park. A second, purpose-built, terminal

1860-550: The area has always been a focus for peoples entering and leaving Britain . The name derives from the River Dour that flows through it. In recent times the town has undergone transformations with a high-speed rail link to London, new retail in town with St James' area opened in 2018, and a revamped promenade and beachfront. This followed in 2019, with a new 500m Pier to the west of the Harbour, and new Marina unveiled as part of

Dover Castle - Misplaced Pages Continue

1920-705: The area, and that some Iron Age finds also exist. During the Roman period , the area became part of the Roman communications network. It was connected by road to Canterbury and Watling Street and it became Portus Dubris , a fortified port. Dover has a partly preserved Roman lighthouse (the tallest surviving Roman structure in Britain) and the remains of a villa with preserved Roman wall paintings. Dover later figured in Domesday Book (1086). Forts were built above

1980-542: The castle's Clerk of the Works, G. Arnold, was responsible for the interior. The outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 saw the tunnels converted first into an air-raid shelter and then later into a military command centre and underground hospital. In May 1940, Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay directed the evacuation of French and British soldiers from Dunkirk , code-named Operation Dynamo , from his headquarters in

2040-464: The cliff tunnels. A military telephone exchange was installed in 1941 and served the underground headquarters. The switchboards were constantly in use and had to have a new tunnel created alongside it to house the batteries and chargers necessary to keep them functioning. A statue of Admiral Ramsay stands outside the tunnels in honour of his work on the Dunkirk evacuation and protecting Dover during

2100-438: The curtain walls were often built to a considerable height and were fronted by a ditch or moat to make assault difficult. Walls were topped with battlements which consisted of a parapet , which was generally crenellated with merlons to protect the defenders and lower crenels or embrasures which allowed them to shoot from behind cover; merlons were sometimes pierced by loopholes or arrowslits for better protection. Behind

2160-426: The early 5th century Theodosian Walls of Constantinople influenced the builders of medieval castles many centuries later. In medieval castles, the area surrounded by a curtain wall, with or without towers, is known as the bailey . The outermost walls with their integrated bastions and wall towers together make up the enceinte or main defensive line enclosing the site. In medieval designs of castle and town,

2220-436: The future Louis VIII of France to come and take the English crown. He had some success breaching the walls, but was ultimately unable to take the castle. The vulnerable north gate that had been breached in the siege was converted into an underground forward-defence complex (including St John's Tower), and new gates built into the outer curtain wall on the western (Fitzwilliam's Gate) and eastern (Constable's Gate) sides. During

2280-471: The invaders on the beach. However, the French slaughtered the English cavalry and made their way up the cliffs to disperse the bowmen. Louis' army seized Dover village, forcing the English back to Canterbury. French control of Dover lasted for three months after which English troops pushed back, forcing the French to surrender and return home. Dover is in the south-east corner of Britain. From South Foreland ,

2340-606: The journey took all day to reach London, from 4   am to being "in time for supper". The other main roads, travelling west and east, are the A20 to Folkestone and thence the M20 to London, and the A258 through Deal to Sandwich. In December 2020, a long line of freight trucks formed due to sudden border closures with France, because of new strains of COVID-19 within the United Kingdom. The railway reached Dover from two directions:

2400-424: The lowest recorded temperature was −9.5 °C (14.9 °F), recorded at Dover RMS on 31 January 1972. The temperature is usually between 3 °C (37 °F) and 21.1 °C (70.0 °F). In 1800, the year before Britain's first national census, Edward Hasted (1732–1812) reported that the town had a population of almost 10,000 people. At the 2001 census, the town of Dover had 28,156 inhabitants, while

2460-646: The name derives from the Brythonic word for water ( dwfr in Middle Welsh , dŵr in Modern Welsh apart from 'dwfrliw' (Watercolour) which has retained the old Welsh spelling, dour in Breton ). The same element is present in the town's French name Douvres and the name of the river, Dour , which is also evident in other English towns such as Wendover . However, the modern Modern Welsh name Dofr

Dover Castle - Misplaced Pages Continue

2520-463: The nearest point to the European mainland, Cap Gris Nez is 34 kilometres (21 mi) away across the Strait of Dover. The site of its original settlement lies in the valley of the River Dour , sheltering from the prevailing south-westerly winds. This has led to the silting up of the river mouth by the action of longshore drift . The town has been forced into making artificial breakwaters to keep

2580-512: The north of the town centre, are within its conurbation. The town's main shopping streets are the High Street, Biggin Street, Market Square, Cannon Street, Pencester Road and Castle Street. The Castleton Retail Park is to the north-west of the town centre. The new St James' Retail and Leisure Park opened in 2018 and is a southern extension of the town centre; it consists of shops, restaurants,

2640-410: The parapet was a wall walk from which the defenders could fight or move from one part of the castle to another. Larger curtain walls were provided with mural passages or galleries built into the thickness of the walls and provided with arrowslits. If an enemy reached the foot of the wall, they became difficult to see or shoot at directly, so some walls were fitted with a projecting wooden platform called

2700-507: The population of the whole urban area of Dover, as calculated by the Office for National Statistics , was 39,078 inhabitants. With the expansion of Dover, many of the outlying ancient villages have been incorporated into the town. Originally the parishes of Dover St. Mary's and Dover St. James, since 1836 Buckland and Charlton have become part Dover, and Maxton (a hamlet to the west), River , Kearsney , Temple Ewell , and Whitfield , all to

2760-532: The port and lighthouses were constructed to guide passing ships. It is one of the Cinque Ports . and has served as a bastion against various attackers: notably the French during the Napoleonic Wars and Germany during the Second World War . During the Cold War , a Regional Seat of Government was located within the White Cliffs beneath Dover Castle. This is omitted from the strategic objects appearing on

2820-502: The port in being. These breakwaters have been extended and adapted so that the port lies almost entirely on reclaimed land. The higher land on either side of the valley – the Western Heights and the eastern high point on which Dover Castle stands – has been adapted to perform the function of protection against invaders. The town has gradually extended up the river valley, encompassing several villages in doing so. Little growth

2880-510: The public, Bastion is 'lost', but investigations continue to locate it and gain access. Dumpy (converted from Second World War use, to serve as a Regional Seat of Government in the event of an atomic war) is closed, together with its esplanade (last used as an air raid shelter in the Second World War). Between 2007 and 2009, English Heritage spent £2.45 million on recreating the castle's interior. According to figures released by

2940-466: The roof off the keep and replacing it with massive brick vaults, he was able to mount heavy artillery on the top. Twiss also constructed Canon's Gateway to link the defences of the castle with those of the town. With Dover becoming a garrison town , there was a need for barracks and storerooms for the additional troops and their equipment. The solution adopted by Twiss and the Royal Engineers

3000-596: The same time, this find also shows that trade routes across the Channel between England and France existed already in the Bronze Age , or even earlier. In 1992, the so-called Dover boat from the Bronze Age was discovered in six metres depth underwater. This is one of the oldest finds of a seaworthy boat. Using the radiocarbon method of investigation, the boat's construction was dated to approximately 1550 BC . First recorded in its Latinised form of Portus Dubris ,

3060-413: The siege, the English defenders tunnelled outwards and attacked the French. During the time of Stephen de Pencester , a windmill was erected on Tower 22, which was later known as the Mill Tower. By the Tudor age, the defences themselves had been superseded by gunpowder. They were improved by Henry VIII, who made a personal visit and added to it with the Moat Bulwark. During the English Civil War , it

SECTION 50

#1732771855583

3120-419: The town's defences, completed the remodelling of the outer defences of Dover Castle by adding the huge Horseshoe, Hudson's, East Arrow and East Demi-Bastions to provide extra gun positions on the eastern side, and constructing the Constable's Bastion for additional protection on the west. Twiss further strengthened the Spur at the northern end of the castle, adding a redan , or raised the gun platform. By taking

3180-471: The town. Route one goes from Dover to Canterbury. This route links with National Cycle Route 2 from Dover to St Austell, Regional route 16, and Regional route 17 in Dover. It passes three castles. Firstly from Dover on the steap incline past Dover Castle. Then South Foreland Lighthouse is visible from the route. Mostly traffic-free along the east coast from Kingsdown to Deal, passing Walmer Castle and Deal Castle . Follows toll road (free to cyclists) through

3240-431: The world, and the tallest and most complete standing Roman structure in England. It is also claimed to be Britain's oldest standing building. Built in the early 2nd century, the 5-level 8-sided tower was made of layers of tufa , Kentish ragstone , and red bricks. The castle lighthouse survived after being converted into a belfry in the Saxon era ( c.  1000 ), having a new upper layer added ( c.  1430 ), and

3300-427: Was during the reign of Henry II that the castle began to take recognisable shape. The inner and outer baileys and the great keep belong to this time. Maurice the Engineer was responsible for building the keep. From 1179 to 1188, the king spent over £6,500 on the castle, an enormous sum considering that his annual revenue was likely around £10,000. In 1216, during the First Barons' War , a group of rebel barons invited

3360-436: Was electrified under British Railways in 1959 as part of Stage 1 of Kent Coast Electrification, under the BR 1955 Modernisation Plan . The line up to Ramsgate, via Deal, was subsequently electrified under stage two of Kent Coast electrification in January 1961. The line from Folkestone into Priory was electrified in June 1961. A tram system operated in the town from 1897 to 1936. Dover has two long distance footpaths :

3420-416: Was held for the king but then taken by supporters of the Parliamentarians in 1642 without a shot being fired. Knowing the castle was lightly guarded, a local merchant Richard Dawkes accompanied by 10 men scaled the cliffs and attacked the porter's lodge, obtaining the keys and entering the castle before the garrison was summoned. Dover Castle was a crucial observation point for the cross-channel sightings of

3480-449: Was originally operated by ferry operator Norfolkline . This company was later acquired by the pan European operator DFDS Seaways in July 2010. The crossing time is approximately two hours. The location of Dunkirk is also more convenient for those travelling by road transport on to countries in Northern Europe including Belgium , the Netherlands , Germany and further afield. Stagecoach in East Kent provide local bus services. Dover

3540-426: Was partially renovated in 1913–1915. The scant remains of the other Roman lighthouse , known as the Bredenstone or the Devil's Drop of Mortar, are located on the opposing Western Heights , across the town of Dover. The Roman lighthouse at Boulogne-sur-Mer across the Channel, known as the Tour d'Ordre, survived for many centuries, and its light should have been visible from Dover. It was built circa AD 39 by order of

3600-434: Was to create a complex of barracks tunnels about 15 metres below the cliff-top, and the first troops were accommodated in 1803. The windmill on the Mill Tower was demolished during the Anglo-American War on the orders of the Ordnance Board . It was said that the sale of materials from the demolished mill did not cover the cost of the demolition. At the end of the Napoleonic Wars, the tunnels were partly converted and used by

#582417