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| Dover | ||
| county | Kent | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | 31.022 (2011) | |
| height | unknown | |
no value for height on Wikidata:  | ||
| Tourist info | 44 13 04 87 20 61 Whitecliffs Country | |
| no tourist info on Wikidata: | ||
| location | ||
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Dover lies at the narrowest point of the English Channel between Great Britain and mainland Europe. For most tourists, the city is in the county Kent just a "transfer station" on their way between England and France. However, Dover has more to offer. Since around 50 AD. is the city on the Roman port Portus Dubris permanently settled.
background
The oldest finds from the Dover area date from the Bronze Age. In 1974 there were bronze axes, which probably came from France, in 1992 the remains of an approximately 17 m long seaworthy boat were found. Both finds can be viewed in the Dover Museum. Naturally there are a large number of relics from the Roman period, after all the occupying power had im Portus Dubris their fleet Classis Britannica stationed. In the Middle Ages Dover was one of the Cinque Ports, an association of initially 5 port cities to protect the coast of Britain. In modern times, the canal port has been steadily expanded, and the city's fortifications have also been strengthened. However, with the opening of the Eurotunnel in 1994, the port of Dover lost some of its importance.
getting there
| Distances | |
| Canterbury | 29 km |
|---|---|
| Hastings | 83 km |
| London | 125 km |
| Brighton | 140 km |
| Oxford | 220 km |
| Southampton | 240 km |
| Birmingham | 325 km |
By plane
The closest airports are those in and around London:
- London City Airport (approx. 130 km) is served from Dresden, Frankfurt am Main, Nuremberg and Paderborn, among others.
- Gatwick (approx. 130 km) is located south of London and is served by Berlin, Bremen, Düsseldorf, Friedrichshafen, Hamburg and Munich, among others.
- Stansted, northeast of London (approx. 160 km) is served by low-cost airlines from Berlin, Bremen, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt-Hahn, Hanover and Memmingen, among others.
- The Heathrow Airport is from Dover at the opposite end of London and therefore much less convenient.
By train
The 1 Dover Priory Railway Station is on Folkestone Road. It is about 10 minutes' walk from Pencester Road. There are connections to London (St. Pancras, Charing Cross and Victoria), Canterbury, Rochester and Margate, among others. Dover Priory can be reached by bus from the ferry terminal. For timetables and prices, see the homepage of South Eastern Railway or also at National Rail
By bus
National Express: Route 007 from London Victoria Coach Station via Maidstone, Canterbury to Dover and on to Deal. The buses stop on Pencester Road.
In the street
- That goes from Dover A2 (Watling Street) towards Canterbury, then further than the Autobahn M2 to London
- The A20 goes to Dover Folkstone and further than M20 to London
- The A256 goes to Dover Ramsgate.
By boat
Dover ferry port is one of the largest passenger ports in Europe with around 14 million travelers per year Calais is served by the following ferry company:
The route to and from Dunkerque of:
Dover is also frequently approached by cruise ships.
By bicycle
The EuroVelo 2, running on the same route as the NCN 1, and the NCN 2 start and end in Dover.
On foot
Hikers on the European long-distance footpath E2 enter or leave the British Isles in Dover - coming by ferry from the continental mainland or transferring there.
mobility
Tourist Attractions
Castles, chateaux and palaces
Hints:
- The way up to the castle is quite steep (13% in places), from the bus stop on Pencester Road you can take line 15 (Stagecoach) (fare £ 1.30 each way, as of 2015)
- The number of visitors in the tunnels is limited to 1,000 per day
history
The castle towering over the busy harbor is an imposing sight - both from land and sea. The location has been important for a long time, the first fortification from earth walls was built in the Iron Age. The Romans built a lighthouse, next to it is a church from the Anglo-Saxon period. In 1066 William the Conqueror reinforced the fortifications, in the 12th century the mighty keep was built, in the 18th century "modern" barracks were built. The whole area, except for the sea side, is surrounded by a medieval curtain wall. In 2009 the keep was reopened after a restoration in the course of which the rooms were reconstructed as they looked when the king visited in 1184.
Keep
The keep, the so-called Great Tower, was built in the 1180s by order of King Henry II and shapes the appearance of the castle. The Great Tower served primarily as a spacious living area for the king and as accommodation for important guests who were also entertained here. Today the rooms are furnished in the colorful style of the Middle Ages. With the help of various experts, the furnishings, utensils, wall hangings and door fittings were reconstructed. You can see the King’s Hall, the King’s Chamber, the Great Chamber in which the King and his entourage dined and the Guest Chamber in which important guests slept.
Dover Castle during World War II
Over the centuries, an extensive system of tunnels was dug into the chalk cliffs below the castle. The first tunnels were built in the Middle Ages. In the 18th century the need for barracks and storerooms increased due to the danger of an invasion by the French, these were then built 15 m below the surface. During the Second World War the tunnels served as a starting point for Admiral Ramsay's coordination of the British Expeditionary Corps during the evacuation from the beaches in Dunkirk. The "Operation Dynamo" had its nerve center deep in the tunnel system, here Ramsay and his team worked incessantly for 9 days, 339,000 people were saved. Today visitors can take a tour of the tunnels. In the tunnel you are put in the plight of a fictional pilot who was shot down over the coast. The subsequent dramatic struggle for survival is documented with audio commentary, sound effects and scraps of conversation. You pass reconstructed dormitories, canteens, washrooms and a makeshift operating theater that is just as furnished as it was at that time. Behind it is the heart of "Operation Dynamo", the Plotting Room, which has been restored down to the last detail.
Churches
- St. Mary's Church, Cannon Street. Church with a Norman tower.
Buildings
- Dover Town Hall with the Maison Dieu Hall. A pilgrim hostel from the 13th century.
Museums
Victorian-era museum mill, café.
Parks
- Connaught Park
various
activities
Boat tours
Boat trip with the "Southern Queen" along the chalk coast with a view of Dover Castle, the Roman lighthouse and the adjoining Church of St. Mary. You also pass the port with the ferries to France.
shop
kitchen
accommodation
- St. Radigunds Abbey, Peter and Sue Moynan, St Radigunds Abbey Farm, Dover, CT15 7DL. Tel.: 44 (0)1304 825963.
Learn
Work
security
health
Practical advice
- Dover Visitor Information Center, Dover Museum, Market Square, Dover CT16 1PB. Tel.: 44 (0)1304 205108, Email: [email protected]. Open: Apr-Sept: Mon-Sat 9:30 am-5pm, Sun 10 am-3pm. Oct-Mar Mon-Sat 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Telephone: Area code 01304, from abroad 44 1304
Postal code section: CT 16 and CT 17
Post office
trips
South Foreland Lighthouse
Notes: The lighthouse is not accessible by car, there are three ways to get here:
- Park at the White Cliffs of Dover Visitor Center and then walk 2 mi / 3 km over the cliffs (Saxon Shore Way, signposted).
- Parking on St Margaret’s Bay. Follow Bay Hill uphill, then left on St Margaret’s Road, left on Beach Road and walk to the end. The Saxon Shore Way is signposted at the stile. Follow him over the Lighthouse Down. The route is approximately 1 mi / 1.5 km long.
- The NCN1 runs past the lighthouse for approx. 800 m
The Victorian (built 1843) South Foreland Lighthouse stands on the South Foreland of St Margaret’s Bay near Dover. It warned the ships about the Goodwin Sands. The octagonal tower is 21 m high, which is rather small for a lighthouse. The light itself is only 15 m above the ground, but its exposed position on the approximately 90 m high cliffs make it the highest light in England and Wales. In 1988 the tower was decommissioned and is now owned by the National Trust.
Originally there was another lighthouse a little way away on the edge of the cliff. If you brought the lights of both towers in line, you were in the passable channel. However, the Goodwin Sands changed in the years that followed and that bearing became dangerously inaccurate. The lower lighthouse was no longer used in 1910. Today it is in a private garden and is in danger of falling into the sea due to the erosion of the cliffs.
Walmer Castle
Around 1540, by order of King Henry VIII, Walmer Castle, a completely new type of fortress, was built. In contrast to the high mountain peace that was common up until then, Walmer Castle is a very compact building. At this point, the use of gunpowder increased and high walls provided a target. Walmer, along with Deal and Sandown, is one of the three fortresses that were built to secure an anchorage protected by the Goodwin Sands.
The center of the building is a round structure surrounded by an open inner courtyard. This in turn is protected by a concentric wall, from which four semicircular bastions extend. The roofs and bastions were armed with cannons. A gallery runs in the basement around the castle, there were 32 slots for handguns to secure the moat. During the Tudor period, the castle was involved in fighting. In the English Civil War (1642-1651) the castle was briefly besieged. In 1708 Walmer was given a new role as the residence of the "Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports". One consequence of this was the loss of military influence in questions of the function and equipment of the castle. The interior is now a comfortably furnished country house.
Deal Castle
literature
Web links
- http://www.dover.gov.uk (en-gb) - Dover official website
