A redoubt (historically redout ) is a fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort, usually relying on earthworks , although some are constructed of stone or brick. It is meant to protect soldiers outside the main defensive line and can be a permanent structure or a hastily constructed temporary fortification. The word means "a place of retreat". Redoubts were a component of the military strategies of most European empires during the colonial era, especially in the outer works of Vauban -style fortresses made popular during the 17th century, although the concept of redoubts has existed since medieval times . A redoubt differs from a redan in that the redan is open in the rear, whereas the redoubt was considered an enclosed work.
79-474: The Western Heights of Dover is a series of forts and ditches in Dover , England . They were created in the 18th and 19th centuries to augment the existing defences and protect the key port of Dover from both seaward and landward attack; by the start of the 20th century Dover Western Heights was collectively reputed to be the 'strongest and most elaborate' fortification in the country. The Army finally withdrew from
158-650: 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
237-603: A collapse of part of the fortifications in 1807 another application was made for revetting to take place. Nevertheless, at the end of the Napoleonic Wars the Citadel remained unfinished; it was not until the start of the Crimean War in 1853 that work resumed on completing and revetting the ditches. At the same time, some of the existing casemates were adapted to provide barracks accommodation for 500 men. By 1860
316-411: A crucial role in military history: A national redoubt is an area to which the remnant forces of a nation can be withdrawn if the main battle has been lost, or beforehand if defeat is considered inevitable. Typically a region is chosen with a geography favouring defence, such as a mountainous area or a peninsula, in order to function as a final hold-out to preserve national independence for the duration of
395-561: A further gun emplacement, the Citadel Battery, was built at the far end of the Western Outworks of the Citadel (the westernmost extremity of the site). It was designed for three 9.2 inch Mark X BL guns. Another battery was built at the same time to the south (South Front Battery), but it was short-lived. By this time the guns on St Martin's Battery were obsolete and it remained out of commission until World War II, when it
474-793: 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
553-580: A return was made to muzzle loaders. The artillery at the Redoubt faced mostly inland; it was intended to attack an invading force attempting to capture Dover from the rear. As part of the first rebuilding, from 1804 onwards, a series of earthworks (ramparts and ditches) were constructed: the North Lines, running along the ridge between the Citadel and Drop Redoubt; the South Lines, descending from
632-400: A separate barracks (later known as Grand Shaft Barracks ), designed by Twiss to accommodate 700 men, on land between the Redoubt and the cliff to the south. Towards the cliff, the ground was levelled to create a parade ground ; behind it, stepped terraces were created in the slope up the hill on which were built three parallel ranges of three- and four-storey barracks blocks: first (facing
711-457: A sustained period of related work by Twiss on upgrading the fortifications of nearby Dover Castle (1794–1803). The Citadel, lying at the western end of the Heights, formed its main defensive point. The Citadel began as a large bastioned fieldwork , constructed in the early 1780s and containing within its fortifications three loopholed guard houses. In 1804 plans were made to rebuild both
790-512: A thick layer of earth to withstand the effect of mortar-bombs. The windows at the rear of each open into a trench, to protect them against blast. The rise of Napoleon III during the 1850s caused a further invasion scare, and a Royal Commission was set up in 1859 to investigate the defences of Britain. As a result, more work was deemed necessary at the Heights, and the Drop Redoubt had its defences improved. Caponiers were added to four of
869-750: A threat. A small hill close to Worcester was used as an artillery platform by the Parliamentarians when they successfully besieged Worcester in 1646 . In 1651 before the Battle of Worcester the hill was turned into a redoubt by the Royalists , (the remains of which can be seen today in Fort Royal Hill Park ). During the battle, the Parliamentarians captured the redoubt and turned its guns on Worcester. In so doing they made
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#1732783181393948-525: A triple staircase.... chief objective of which is the convenience and safety of troops....and may eventually be useful in sending reinforcements to troops or in affording them a secure retreat.’ Twiss's plan was approved and building went ahead. The resulting shaft was 26 feet (7.9 m) in diameter, 140 feet (43 m) deep with a 180 feet (55 m) gallery connecting the bottom of the shaft to Snargate Street, and all for under an estimated £4000. The plan entailed building two brick-lined shafts, one inside
1027-564: A young offenders' institution, was most recently used as the Dover Immigration Removal Centre , and so was off-limits until at least November 2015 when the centre was closed down. Many of the Citadel's original buildings remain preserved within. In 2018 the freehold site was put up for sale. English Heritage owns the Redoubt; the Grand Shaft spiral staircase is owned by the council, and is annually opened by
1106-499: 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
1185-743: 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
1264-490: 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
1343-420: 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
1422-497: 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
1501-528: Is located in Whitfield, 4 miles north of Dover. Technical College Redoubt During the English Civil War , redoubts were frequently built to protect older fortifications from the more effective artillery of the period. Often close to ancient fortifications, there were small hills that overlooked the defences, but in previous centuries, they had been too far from the fortifications to be
1580-769: 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 ,
1659-507: Is one of the two forts on Western Heights, and is linked to the Citadel by a series of dry moats. Prior to construction of the Redoubt a bastioned fort had stood there as part of the 18th-century fortifications. The construction of the Redoubt was in two periods: the first being from 1804 to 1808 during the Napoleonic Wars, and the second from 1859 to 1864 following the recommendations of the 1859 Royal Commission. The original form of
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#17327831813931738-504: 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
1817-647: 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
1896-843: 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
1975-830: The Western Heights Preservation Society . The Grand Shaft Bowl, located south of Drop Redoubt, is the proposed location for the new National War Memorial , which will commemorate, by name, all of the British Commonwealth casualties of World War I and World War II . The Grand Shaft Barracks was the location for the filming of the post-nuclear attack scenes in the Peter Watkins 1965 film; The War Game . 51°07′08″N 1°18′04″E / 51.119014°N 1.301022°E / 51.119014; 1.301022 Dover Dover ( / ˈ d oʊ v ər / DOH -vər )
2054-428: The 'West and East Redoubts' (i.e. the Citadel and Drop Redoubt) and to link them with earthworks along the length of the Heights. By 1806 the rebuilt Citadel was surrounded by an unrevetted defensive ditch; in the centre was a set of temporary barracks huts (along with the three guardhouses). A well was sunk in 1809, to ensure a permanent supply of water in case of a siege; (a pumphouse was added in 1860). Following
2133-541: The 1860s to serve the whole Western Heights garrison, including a Garrison Chapel and School. A Military Hospital had already been built to the south in 1804–06; extended in the 1860s, it latterly served as a headquarters for the Royal Engineers . These garrison buildings, along with both the Grand Shaft Barracks and South Front Barracks, were almost entirely demolished in the 1960s. To assist with
2212-717: 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
2291-519: The Citadel and the Redoubt, the North Lines and the escarpments to the south and east. This could accommodate a large body of troops accommodated in tents; it continued to be used for large-scale parades and assemblies of troops prior to embarkation during the First World War. To supplement the soldiers' accommodation in the casemates of the Redoubt, construction was begun in October 1804 on
2370-623: The Citadel to the Old Folkestone Road (where a bridge across the defensive ditch provided access to the fortress, by way of the South Military Road, as well as to the harbour beyond); and the North-East Line, running east from the Drop Redoubt. During the building of the defensive lines (1809-16) a tiered bulwark , the 'North-West Bastion', was built on the edge of the Citadel flanking the northern slope of
2449-435: The Citadel was entered, via a drawbridge over the ditch, through a gate on the eastern side; a tunnel then led through the rampart into the fort by way of the main guard room. Between 1860 and 1874 outworks were added. By now, within the ramparts , the Citadel contained barracks, stores and magazines arrayed around a large parade ground. The bomb-proof Officers' Quarters and Mess, built by Major William Jervois in 1860,
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2528-704: 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
2607-594: The Drop Redoubt was a simple pentagon, formed by cutting trenches into the hillside and revetting (facing) them with brickwork. Thus, the Redoubt was a solid ‘island’ with barracks, magazine, and artillery, on top. Originally, it would have accommodated 200 troops but, by 1893, the numbers had been reduced to just 90. A striking feature of the first period is the Soldiers’ Quarters – five bomb-proof casemates . These are parabolic in cross section and covered in
2686-693: The French blockade survive today. In the late 19th century, the British built a redoubt near Fomm ir-Riħ as part of the Victoria Lines . The American Revolution defenses at West Point , New York included several redoubts, forts, and the Great Chain with links weighing more than 100 pounds each that Continental Army military engineers stretched across the Hudson River. The purpose behind
2765-424: The Heights in 1956–61; they are now a local nature reserve . First given earthworks in 1779 against the planned invasion that year , the high ground west of Dover was properly fortified in 1804 when Lieutenant-Colonel William Twiss was instructed to modernise the existing defences. This was part of a huge programme of fortification in response to Napoleon's planned invasion of the United Kingdom . It followed
2844-476: The Heights. At the same time the 'North-Centre Bastion' was built, halfway along the earthworks between the Citadel and Drop Redoubt. As part of the construction of the North Lines a North Entrance was built, between the Drop Redoubt and North Centre Bastion, giving access to the Heights by way of the North Military Road. After 1858, a further 'Detached Bastion' was built immediately to the north of
2923-684: The North Centre Bastion (which was itself rebuilt and strengthened), to the designs of Captain Edmund Du Cane . (The bastions enabled flanking fire (by both muskets and artillery) along the length of the North Line.) At the same time, the Citadel was extended to the west (the 'Western Outworks') with further casemated barracks provided within the new ramparts. Also at this time, following the Royal Commission of 1859,
3002-574: The North and South Lines were strengthened and the North-East Line rebuilt on a different alignment, more effectively closing off that end of the site between the Drop Redoubt and the cliffs. Furthermore, the North Entrance was rebuilt and strengthened (necessitated by the rebuilding of the Lines); it was approached by way of a twisting path through the tenaille and lifting and falling bridges across
3081-596: The Redoubt was to be equipped with 12 smooth bore 24-pounder guns and two carronades. However, it is unlikely that many were installed since the Napoleonic War was almost over by the time construction was completed. In 1851, only three 24-pounders were in place, with six 12-pounder saluting guns and an 8" mortar. Following the Second Period, eleven Armstrong 64-pounder Rifled Breech Loaders were installed on traversing carriages. These proved unsatisfactory and
3160-565: 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
3239-577: 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
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3318-579: 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
3397-577: The West Point defensive system was to prevent the British Army and Royal Navy from gaining control of the Hudson and splitting New England off from the mid-Atlantic and southern states. The chain blocked the river, the forts were positioned to fire on ships attempting to approach the chain, and outlying redoubts were well placed to defend land routes into West Point. Examples where redoubts played
3476-499: The accommodation at South Front Barracks was mainly built within bomb-proof casemates within the ditch of the southern defensive line (which was constructed at the same time above Archcliffe Fort ). Between these casemated barracks and the Citadel Road, married quarters and ancillary buildings were provided, on a series of three stepped terraces built into the hillside. The casemated barracks had accommodation for 400 soldiers and
3555-550: 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
3634-705: 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
3713-514: The cliff top). The right-hand side of the parade ground was enclosed by the Officers' Mess, whilst a Canteen (later termed 'Regimental Institute') was built facing it, on the left-hand side; the remaining side of the parade ground was left open (providing a clear view across the harbour from the cliff top). Ancillary buildings were sited on further terraces above and beyond the Canteen (ranged along
3792-417: The cliffs either side of the Roman Port of Dubris . The remains were lost during the first period of construction, but were re-discovered during the second period and restored to their original position as a rather shapeless lump of masonry. The foundations, though, are present in the room immediately below. Local names for the remains of the Pharos are the ‘Bredenstone’ or the ‘Devil’s Drop of Mortar’, and it
3871-410: The corners of the existing fort (each with a stone staircase leading up to the top of the Redoubt), and gunrooms were built alongside two of them to allow fire along the North and South-East Lines. The original magazine was enlarged, and covered with a large earth bank as protection from mortar-fire. The Officers’ Quarters, Guardroom, and cells also date from this period. They can be distinguished from
3950-414: The defence of the city untenable. That action effectively ended the battle, the last of the English Civil War . From 1715 onwards, the Order of Saint John built a number of redoubts in Malta , as part of an effort to improve the coastal fortifications of the islands. They were built in the middle of bays to prevent enemy forces from disembarking and outflanking the coastal batteries . The design of
4029-409: The distance is nearly a mile and a half and to walk it about three-quarters of a mile, and all the roads unavoidably pass over ground more than 100 feet (30 m) above the barracks, besides the footpaths are so steep and chalky that a number of accidents will unavoidably happen during the wet weather and more especially after floods. I am therefore induced to recommend the construction of a shaft, with
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#17327831813934108-414: The ditches. A new South Entrance was also provided to the south (built where the South Military Road crossed a new extension to the South Lines, close to the junction with Citadel Road). Also known as Archcliffe Gate, this monumental stone gatehouse was demolished in the 1960s. As well as helping protect the Heights from landward attack, the earthworks served to enclose a sizeable area of land (lying between
4187-462: The earlier work by the semi-circular shape of their arches. During World War II , the Redoubt housed a squad of commandos that, in the event of invasion, would have been responsible for destroying Dover Harbour. Their presence was secret and the lines around the Redoubt were mined. Evidence of their stay are the sally ports in Caponiers 1 & 2, and the short tunnel leading from the encircling line to Drop Redoubt Road. The entrance to Drop Redoubt
4266-418: 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 ,
4345-460: 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:
4424-410: The left-hand side of the flight of steps); further buildings were added in the 1860s, including additional married quarters. Barrack accommodation on Western Heights was further increased by the building of another barracks to the south-west, South Front Barracks , in the 1860s. In contrast to the Grand Shaft Barracks, which had come to be seen as vulnerable due to technological advances in artillery ,
4503-424: 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
4582-406: The married quarters accommodated a further 120 married soldiers with their families. While the married quarters continued to be occupied in the 20th century, by 1912 the casemates were no longer in use as barracks, serving instead as offices for the Royal Garrison Artillery . To the west of the Grand Shaft Barracks (across the Centre Road, close to the North Gate) a number of buildings were added in
4661-402: The movement of troops between the Heights and the town defences and harbour, Twiss made his case for building the Grand Shaft in the cliff, adjacent to the barracks parade ground: ‘...the new barracks.....are little more than 300 yards horizontally from the beach.....and about 180 feet (55 m) above high-water mark, but in order to communicate with them from the centre of town, on horseback
4740-418: 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
4819-407: 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
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#17327831813934898-399: 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,
4977-402: The other. In the outer would be built a triple staircase, the inner acting as a light well with ‘windows’ cut in its outer wall to illuminate the staircases. Apparently, by March 1805 only 40 feet (12 m) of the connecting gallery was left to dig and it is probable that the project was completed by 1807. In the 1850s a gun battery was built, as part of Dover's coast artillery defences, on
5056-432: The parade ground) were a pair of blocks, one for soldiers, one for officers; then, on the next terrace up, was a longer block for soldiers plus a small block for Staff Sergeants; then, above that, was the Field Officers' quarters. (Further terraces beyond later accommodated a gymnasium and stables). Access to the terraces was provided by a long flight of steps rising from the far left corner of the parade ground (as viewed from
5135-455: 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
5214-416: 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
5293-438: 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
5372-473: The redoubts was influenced by ones built in the French colonies. In all, eleven pentagonal redoubts and a few semi-circular or rectangular ones were built. Most redoubts have been demolished over the years, but a few still survive, such as Briconet Redoubt , Saint George Redoubt and Ximenes Redoubt . Four tour-reduits were also built. These were redoubts built in the form of a tower, with rows of musketry loopholes. Three were around Marsaxlokk Bay, and one
5451-479: 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 ,
5530-465: The service battalions serving overseas. In 1956 the Citadel was handed over to HM Prison Service ; it served successively as a Borstal , a Youth Custody Centre and a Young Offender Institution . It was initially envisaged that the Citadel would be armed with forty-three 18-pounder guns, and thirty-one carronades . By the 1860s it had been re-armed with eighteen 18-pounder carronades, twenty 12-pounder carronades and ten 8-inch mortars. The Drop Redoubt
5609-523: The slope below Drop Redoubt. Known as the Drop Battery, it was designed with emplacements for eight 8-inch guns. Within ten years, however, construction of the North-East Line of fortification (extending south from the Redoubt) had blocked part of the battery's field of fire . Therefore, in the 1870s the Drop Battery was replaced by another gun battery further to the south-west: St Martin's Battery; it had three gun emplacements (designed to accommodate 10-inch RMLs ) with ammunition stores in between them. In 1898
5688-471: 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
5767-464: Was designed in part to be able to function as a defensible keep in the event of the Citadel being stormed by the enemy. After 1890 the Citadel ceased to have a defensive role and functioned instead as a large barracks and mobilisation centre, with additional hut accommodation provided for up to 900 soldiers in total. During World War I it was occupied by 3rd (Reserve) Battalion, Buffs (East Kent Regiment) charged with training reinforcement drafts for
5846-590: 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 :
5925-591: Was here, until 1804, that the Lords Warden of the Cinque Ports had their installation ceremony. It is likely that the name ‘Drop Redoubt’ originates from the local name given to the ruins of the Pharos. Between The Citadel and Drop Redoubt are the ruins of an 11th-century church with a round nave . Today, much of the site is open as a country park. The barracks have been demolished. The Citadel, formerly
6004-669: Was located in Marsalforn , Gozo . The only one still in existence is Vendôme Tower in Marsaxlokk. During the siege of Malta of 1798–1800 , Maltese insurgents built a number of fortifications to bombard French positions and repel a possible counterattack. Most of the fortifications were batteries, but at least two redoubts, Windmill Redoubt and Żabbar Redoubt , were also built. In 1799, British forces also built San Rocco Redoubt and San Lucian Redoubt in Malta. No redoubts from
6083-681: 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
6162-409: Was re-armed with three 6-inch BL guns . The Citadel Battery, on the other hand, remained operational until the dismantling of Britain's coast artillery network in 1956. On top of the Redoubt are the remains of a Roman Pharos , or lighthouse , which complemented the one that still exists in the grounds of Dover Castle . Both date from the 2nd Century AD, and would have been similar in design lighting
6241-422: Was via a bridge. The inner third of this was pivoted so that the Redoubt could be isolated. The pivot and the recess into which the bridge swung can still be seen, although the bridge has long since gone. In the 1980s, a temporary scaffolding bridge was built by the army to enable access for guided tours of the Redoubt, but this was removed in the middle 1990s to prevent unauthorised entry and vandalism. Originally,
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