Dover Castle

Description

With breathtaking battlements, a network of underground tunnels dating from Napoleonic times and used right through to WWII and the Cold War, striking scenery and views of the famous White Cliffs of Dover, Dover Castle is an essential place to visit with your Great British Heritage Pass. With over 2,000 years of history to explore, Dover Castle’s role as the stronghold of Britain’s defence is unsurpassed. The combination of thrilling history and sheer beauty make Dover Castle one of the most popular attractions in Britain.

A highlight of any visit is the Great Tower built in the 1180s by King Henry II, one of England’s most powerful monarchs. A symbol of his authority, it was also a magnificent showpiece to impress distinguished European guests – notably visitors to St Thomas Becket’s shrine at Canterbury Cathedral.

Henry’s knights had murdered Becket and the King did penance, then capitalised on the situation by impressing noble pilgrims!

Step inside the Great Tower to be immersed in the opulence of Henry’s medieval world. Richly furnished chambers filled with hundreds of finely crafted objects re-create the surroundings of his royal court, while costumed characters and the latest film technology bring to life renowned historical figures.

From mid June 2011, visitors can enjoy an exciting new experience combining the special character of the Secret Wartime Tunnels with a dramatic presentation revealing the countdown to World War II -, the lightning strike of the German army across Western Europe and the trapping of the British Army on the open beaches and around the shattered town of Dunkirk.

Operation Dynamo, the evacuation of Dunkirk was masterminded by Vice Admiral Betram Ramsay from his naval headquarters here in the tunnels at Dover Castle. It was from these tunnels in 1940 that Ramsay and his team masterminded the rescue mission, saving over 330,000 British and allied troops with a huge improvised fleet of ships and snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. Visitors to Operation Dynamo: Rescue from Dunkirk will walk through the tunnels and see, hear and feel - as never before - the danger and high stakes of the Dunkirk rescue operation.

Plus, a new exhibition will chart the history of the tunnels from Napoleonic times to the Cold War and focus on their role during the Dunkirk evacuation, looking at the myths, the reality and the legacy of the rescue mission.

Exploration of the rest of the site – high up on the famous White Cliffs - reveals an eventful history. It was probably the site of an Iron Age hill-fort and you can still view one of Europe’s best-preserved Roman lighthouses, the Pharos, an Anglo-Saxon church and atmospheric Medieval Tunnels. From the 1740s to the 1945s Dover’s defences were updated in response to every European war involving Britain, to keep this ‘key to England’ locked.

In the Secret Wartime Tunnels beneath the White Cliffs re-live the turbulent times of World War II: it was from here in 1940 that Admiral Ramsay and his team masterminded the rescue of 338,000 soldiers stranded on the beaches of Dunkirk.