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Dover Castle
by CHERYL PENDRY, PassPorter Featured Columnist
Many castles become famous for their roles in war, but usually those wars date
back centuries. Not so with Dover Castle on the southeastern coast of England.
Its position at the start of the shortest sea crossing between England and
continental Europe made for a pivotal role in one of the turning points of World
War II.
Dating back more than 1,000 years, Dover Castle has stood on its current site
since Roman times and even today, a Roman lighthouse and church, dating back to
around the year 900 AD can still be seen there. Much of the Castle you see today
dates from around 1180, when King Henry II rebuilt its fortifications. It's one
of the biggest castles you'll find in the whole of England.
It was
strengthened over the years by a succession of English kings, and with good
reason, as one of the castle attractions demonstrates. The 1216 Siege Experience
takes you back in time to the days when the castle was one of the few remaining
places holding out for King John against rebellious citizens, who had allied
themselves with Prince Louis of France. Using light, film and sound, the show
really brings to life what people would have gone through during that siege, and
is well worth seeing.
Beautiful though the castle is, towering on a hill
above Dover, England's busiest sea port, the real attraction is buried far
beneath the fortifications. Following the outbreak of the Second World War, the
situation for the Allied forces was becoming desperate, with the Germans
advancing across Europe. Countries were falling rapidly and soldiers from
Britain and her allies had retreated to the beaches of Dunkirk in Northern
France near the Belgian border. There was nowhere else to fall back
to.
Against that background, plans were put together for Operation Dynamo
to evacuate the troops back to Britain. The nerve center for this operation was
the secret wartime tunnels underneath Dover Castle. These tunnels were first dug
during the Napoleonic Wars and were in near constant use from that date onwards,
but today they're best known for the work that took place in them in the
1940s.
As you walk through the tunnels, it's impossible to believe that
around 700 people were based here during some of the worst days of World War II.
That included switchboard staff, after a military telephone exchange was
installed to serve the underground headquarters.
It's quite something to
see the Command Centre, where Winston Churchill, then the Prime Minister of
Great Britain, viewed the Battle of Britain. That's the name given to attempts
by the German air force, the Luftwaffe, to try and gain air superiority over the
British Royal Air Force. The plan was that once that was achieved, the Germans
would then invade Britain. But despite undertaking the most sustained bombing
campaign up until that date, the plan failed and is now widely seen as a major
turning point in the war.
Not only were these tunnels a command center,
but they were also home to an underground hospital. It can't have been easy
trying to work under these conditions, and another of the exhibits shows a
surgeon attempting to save the life of an injured pilot.
Since those days
in the 1940s, the tunnels had been on standby to be used in the event of a
nuclear attack, but gradually they fell into disuse before being re-opened for
visitors to step back into history.
Dover Castle is open throughout the
year, except between December 24-26 and on January 1. The Castle is also closed
on Tuesdays and Wednesdays between the beginning of November and the end of
January. It's about a mile and a half from Dover Priory railway station, so to
reach the Castle without a car; you'll either need to catch a taxi or a bus
there.
Dover itself is about an hour and a half's drive from London and
it's also home to another famous sight. Situated on the southeastern coast of
England, you'll find the famous White Cliffs of Dover here, which have been
described as the country's most popular stretch of coastline. With good reason,
as they've been the sight that has welcomed people to England for
centuries.
Of course, if you fancy heading further afield to mainland
Europe, Dover is one way to start those travels, with the Port of Dover the
busiest in England. As well as regular ferry services across to France, Dover is
also becoming a regular port of call with many cruise ships. You never know,
with its recent Mediterranean excursion, perhaps one day we'll see the Disney
Magic setting down anchor there!
Related Links:
Leeds Castle, Windsor Castle
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Updated 04/06/07
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