Dover Castle

Posted on by Stephen Edwards

Dover, England

When you only have an hour or two to spend at a sight that could easily fill an entire day, you simply make the best of it. With this in mind, we approached Dover Castle, determined to make the most of our abbreviated visit.

However, we took advantage of the opportunity to visit the old castle, the town sites, the harbor, and the sheep. As sort of a surprise, sheep are found on the castle walls, a natural lawnmower and groundskeeping crew in one. Many of the soils in Great Britain are not deep or rich, so in many parts of the country, agriculture means sheep, dairy, or beef cattle. It makes perfect sense why sheep are present, but this is an unexpected finding.

The sheep are enjoying the pastures next to the castle’s walls. We saw this landscaping technique in a few different places in the United Kingdom.

As for furnishings, Dover was just one of many castles spread throughout the nation. The king’s court would have been more mobile in ancient times, with all of the food, furniture, and staff moving from place to place. Some reconstructed furniture and fixtures are found within the rooms, set up in the Style of Henry II, the monarch who first enlarged the castle.

The King’s bedroom, while stylish hundreds of years ago, is less comfortable and more drafty than the accommodations in most hotels today.

Dover Castle, however, is a very historic fortification. The Romans built the first fortification on the site, but later, William the Conqueror and Henry II created the defenses. The castle was even home to a secret base during World War II and the Cold War, which we were unable to see on our visit, but that gives me a goal for a future visit. This visit is a great reminder that when traveling in Europe in the wintertime, any open outdoor tours will end before sunset at 4:00 PM.

Simon is on the roof of the castle. As can be seen, sunset is near. Most outdoor attractions operate on abbreviated hours during the winter months.
The chapel was built during the 1180s and was dedicated to Thomas Becket, Henry II’s friend who had been martyred a few years previously in Canterbury. The chapel gave the king somewhere to worship when he was at the residence. When Dover Castle was updated, it became the second largest fortress in England only behind Windsor in size.

Here are my key takeaways from the visit. It was pretty neat to drive our car through the castle walls. It is possible to visit by train and bus, or by bicycle, but expect a walk or a pedal uphill from the town.  A visitor to Dover would probably do best to focus either on the castle or on the cliffs. Considering that we did both, plus a trip to Canterbury Cathedral, and that we drove around four hours, it did not give us enough time to savor each location. Doing the trip again, Dover and Canterbury both probably merit at least a day each. Also, Dover Castle is a part of the English Heritage Trust. If you are going to multiple locations during your visit, it is probably a good idea to consider joining or purchasing a pass for the length of your visit. When we did the math, we knew it wouldn’t pay off on this visit, but with over 400 locations, I would definitely consider a pass on a future visit.

Adrienne with the setting sun overlooking Dover. We only went to a couple of places on this trip that were a part of the National Trust. The National Trust is a great deal if visiting more than three of the popular sites. Getting passes always depends on what someone is trying to visit or see. In the case of the English Trust, it is only a good deal if you have access to an automobile, as public transit is not always the most dependable in the countryside.

Overall, we enjoyed Dover Castle and the fleeting winter sunshine. A short visit was pleasant and excellent for experiencing a different part of England.

Leave a Reply