Dover (Kent)

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Dover [1] is a busy port in East Kent, in the South of England.

Understand

Dover has been a permanent settlement since at least the time of the Romans, who were the first to record its presence, giving it the name Dubris. It also marked the start of Watling Street, a major Roman road. The Roman lighthouse built on the present-day site of Dover Castle is one of the oldest buildings in Britain.

Today Dover is a major port town facing into the English Channel and, at just 21 miles from the French port of Calais, it is the closest point to continental Europe on mainland Britain. It is most famous for its white chalk cliffs which have been celebrated in song.

Get in

By car

The A2 runs north to Canterbury and on to the M2. The A20 follows the coast south to Folkestone, and the A256 heads north towards Ramsgate, Broadstairs and Margate.

By train

Fare and timetable information is available from South East Trains, tel. 08457 484950.

By boat

Due to its proximity to continental Europe, Dover is one of the busiest cross-Channel ports in the UK, with 18 million passengers passing through its gates every year. Regular ferry services operate from Dover to Calais and Ostend.

Get around

By bus

Arriva is the bus company that operates in Dover. Timetables and fares are available on their website. Buy your ticket from the driver when you board the bus.

By taxi

See

Dover Castle - known as the "Key to England", the castle has 2,000 years of history contained within its walls, including a Roman lighthouse, a Saxon church and a Norman keep. Below ground a series of casements and tunnels have been dug into the chalk. From these tunnels Operation Dynamo (the Dunkirk evacuation) was planned.

Roman Painted House well preserved ruins of a Roman townhouse that includes a hypocaust heating system and mosaic fragments.

Bronze Age Boat 3,500 year old wooden boat preserved in mud. After its chance discovery it was lifted and placed in a special gallery in Dover Museum.

Grand Shaft Triple staircase constructed in Napoleonic times to enable quick troop movements between Townwall Street and the abandoned Western Heights fortifications.

Do

Walk the scenic North Downs Way, a walking trail that follows the low hills that run alongside the coast