Dover Castle
Dover in Kent is the country’s front line facing across the English Channel. Caesar, Napoleon and Hitler all tried unsuccessfully to attack here, but the famous white cliffs have remained defiant, and perched above them is the remarkable Dover Castle, one of the best historical attractions in England.
Custodians English Heritage recently commissioned 150 master craftsmen to restore Dover Castle to its former glory, and it is now recognized as the most authentic medieval castle in the world. Dover was the only castle in England built not to repel foreigners but to welcome them. In 1179 King Louis VII came to visit the shrine of Saint Thomas Beckett at Canterbury. It was the first state visit by a foreign king, but he had nowhere to stay or be entertained. Not to be embarrassed again, King Henry II commissioned a guest castle. It took 10 years to complete and was the most expensive secular building in Europe, demonstrating Henry’s hospitality to VIPs from all over the world.
In later years a warren of tunnels was built underneath and packed with defensive mechanisms to repel Napoleon’s forces in the 19th century and Hitler’s in the 20th. A tour of the tunnels completes a thoroughly fascinating historic experience.