dover, england September 19, 2008

Often called both the "Key to England" and "England's Achilles Heel," the city of Dover has been an important harbor and defense point for centuries. Strategically located on the western shore of the Straits of Dover--- where the English channel meets the North Sea--- it is a mere twenty-one miles away from the European continent. On a clear day, it is possible to see the French coastline and shoreline buildings with the naked eye from the nearby White Cliffs, created many thousands of years ago when there was an major geological uplifting and water broke through the narrow neck of land joining today's England and France.

There is no other point along the English coastline so inviting to invaders from Southern Europe because whoever is master of Dover controls the Thames River approach to London and both its trade and communications with the Continent. Taking control of the Dover area led to the successful occupation of England by the Romans and later by the Normans in 1066. Since the Battle of Hastings, every large attack upon England has pointed at Dover--- Napoleon’s invasion fleet was aimed there and, had they not met disaster at sea, the Spanish Armada would have attempted to the capture port. In the twentieth century, the town was heavily bombarded by Hitler in preparation for his planned invasion.
(Factoid: The strait between Dover and France's Cap Gris Nez near Calais the narrowest part of the English Channel and, therefore, is most popular route for cross-channel swimmers.)

Earliest Inhabitants

The "human history" of Dover actually begins as far back as the Stone Age and the Iron Age. The first known inhabitants arrived sometime late in the Stone Age, maybe 6,000 years ago. Not much is know about this period, however, because changing sea levels and erosion have destroyed much of the area's earliest remains and only a handful of stone axes have been found from that time. At this time Great Britain was possibly still joined to the continent but most "experts" believe that there was at least a narrow channel facing the first inhabitants as they crossed from Europe's mainland to Dover.. Although these earliest settlers were primarily fishermen, some brought with them corn seeds and domesticated animals and became England's first farmers. The area most have been inviting to others because rough earthworks near the cliffs have been found indicating that even the earliest settlers needed some sorts of defense strategies.

Britain's earliest known shipwreck (dating to about 1100 BC) occurred off Dover in the Bronze Age, littering the seabed with over three hundred fifty bronze tools, weapons, and scrap metal. In addition, some fifty or so Bronze Age sites, mainly graves, have been found near Dover. In recent years a large wooden boat dating from the Bronze Age was discovered during road construction near the middle of the city. In 1996, a cross section of the boat was reconstructed to demonstrate how it would have originally been built and the effectiveness of the bronze and wooden tools. Now on display in the Dover Museum, this boat is thought to be the world's oldest known seagoing vessel.

Roman Dover

In Roman days, Dover, then known as Dubris, became an important stronghold noted for its fortress. The Romans also built two lighthouses to mark the harbor, one of which, Pharos, still stands. With the decline of the Roman Empire in the fourth century, the Roman legions left Britain and soon thereafter, Dover, along with other British towns, was all but abandoned. (Of note to modern tourists, in 1971 an old Roman house was uncovered on Dover's New Street with some of its original paint intact--- oldest known painting in Britain.) All in all, Over sixty archeological sites from the Roman period have been found in the Dover area.

Saxon Dover

After the the Romans left England, the Saxons, a Germanic tribe, crossed the narrow channel and started another settlement at Dover (called Dofras). By the end of the fifth century, the town was reestablished as an important port. In the ninth century, the Saxon king, Alfred the Great, created a network of fortified settlements, called burhs, across his kingdom, one of which was Dover. His plan called for all the men in a specified area could gather in the local burh to fight in the event of a Viking attack. Dover was made such a burh, with earth ramparts protected by a wooden palisade on top. The Saxons built the first Dover Castle on the Roman ruins, recycling many building materials from the old remains, and actually used the surviving Pharos lighthouse as the bell tower for their Church of St. Mary in Castra ("in castra" meaning "within the castle").

(Factoid: King Alfred, who reigned from 871 AD to 899 AD, is the only English monarch ever to become known as "The Great.")

By the middle of the 10th century, the town was prosperous and more than a fortress. It was also a busy port with cross-channel trade, weekly markets, and even a royal mint. In a sense, this was a pity, because Dover, along with towns like it, played key role in the commercialization that made England so wealthy and such a tempting prize for the Norman invaders of 1066.

Archeologically, many important discoveries from Saxon have been made in the Dover area, particularly at the cemetery at Buckland. In 1951 as a housing development got under way near this site, a hundred seventy Saxon graves were found, many containing weapons, jewelry, and such common objects such as axes, spear points, jewelry, combs, and dishware. Another two hundred fifty graves were found in 1994. In addition, several Saxon timber buildings have also been found in the center of Dover.

Medieval Dover

England's medieval history is generally felt to have started in 1066 with the Battle of Hastings and the Norman Conquest and to have ended in 1485 with the death of King Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field. During this time, Dover became involved in one of the most intriguing and well-known episodes in English history.

In 1193, King Richard was returning home from the Crusades in the Holy Land when he was captured and held hostage by the Germans. His brother, John, took advantage of this and claimed the throne, only to be defeated by a coalition of barons loyal to Richard. Richard returned to England after the ransom was paid and, for some unknown reason, forgave John for his duplicity and betrayal. This episode in English history has reached epic and mythological proportions over the years, best seen in literary works--- such as Robin Hood and Sir Walter Scott's novel Ivanhoe.

However, when Richard was killed in a battle against the French in 1199, John became the undisputed king--- and a very unpopular one. Once again, many barons rose up and tried to depose him. They invited Louis, the French Dauphin (prince), to come to England and replace John. Louis was advised by his father, Philip Augustus, a brilliant strategist, to make Dover his first objective and to take it at all costs. The French laid siege to Dover Castle but failed to capture it and Philip heard the news he bemoaned, “Without Dover, he has not taken one foot of English land.”

(Factoid: While Richard the Lionhearted is honored as one of the great warrior kings of England, he is should perhaps be known as "the absent king." During his reign, 1189-1199, he spent a total of six months in England!)

In 1216, after years of seventeen years of intolerable treatment at John's hand, the English barons finally faced the king. At Runneymede, they forced a written agreement upon him, a sort of code of common law for England, know now, of course, as the Magna Carta. Among other things, this agreement specified that every one of its conditions would apply to all Englishmen, including the king himself. John, however, had no intention of adhering to the agreement and his behavior soon brought about another baronial revolt. The rebels took London and Prince Louis of France landed unopposed in Dover and claimed the English throne. But within year a more moderate group of barons forced Louis to give up his claim and the ten-year year old Henry III became the undisputed King of England.

From 1050 until roughly 1500, Dover joined with the towns of Sandwich, Hastings, Romney and Hythe to provide ships and men for the king. They became known as the Cinque Ports (after the French but always pronounced 'sink,' not 'sank'). By law, these towns had to provide fifty-seven ships, each crewed by "twenty-one men and a boy" who were obliged to serve the king (t their own cost) for at least two weeks every year.

The number of ships to be furnished by each port gives a good idea of the relative importance of the towns at the time--- Dover had to send twenty-one, Winchelsea ten, Hastings six, and Sandwich, Hythe, Romney, and Rye five each. In reward for these services, many special privileges were granted--- the towns were entirely self-governed, their leaders received the title of " baron," and very importantly, they were made exempt from domestic excise taxes and military service.

(Factoid: In 1295 the French again attacked Dover and this time burned to the ground, not a difficult task since almost all its structures were made of wood.)

Tudor and Stuart Dover

Recognizing the value o fit's harbor, the Tudor and Stuart kings and queens took a particular interest in Dover and financed many expensive repairs and enlargements. For example, both Henry VIII and Elizabeth I promoted many improvements to both the harbor and its defenses. Henry, built castles at Deal, Sandown and Walmer to protect the coastal area. Thus, from 1300 until well into the nineteenth century, Dover's fortunes were dependent almost entirely upon the harbor and its defenses--- how well it could serve the shipping industry was all important.

Dover again took the spotlight when during the English Civil War in the mid-1600s its citizens took sides against Charles I in the English Civil War . After a weak, sickly childhood, Charles had ascended the throne at the age of twenty-five and became a very strong-willed king. This trait, however, proved to be his undoing because he quarreled violently with Parliament over a variety of issues, confrontations that culminated first in civil war and finally, after losing, with his execution. Strangely enough, Dover's citizens cheered the return of his son, Charles II, when he landed in Dover on his way to London to take over the monarchy.)

Modern Dover

Entering the twentieth century, Dover was still one England's most critical military locations. In both World War I and World War II, it was the departure port for thousands of men bound for France to fight the German armies. During the first war, England's so-called Dover Patrol--- warships protecting the country and fishing vessels helping to feed it--- had its home in Dover. The Patrol's main purpose was to prevent enemy ships--- particularly U-boats---- from reaching the open Atlantic via the English Channel. The German submarines were, therefore, forced to make the far more lengthy trip north around Scotland to reach their hunting grounds and then get back to their bases for fuel, torpedoes, and other needed supplies. A striking monument to the Patrol is located overlooking St. Margaret's Bay in 1921. To commemorate the work of French sailors and the US Navy in protecting the Channel shipping lanes, identical memorials were erected both on French coast at Cap Blanc Nez and in New York harbor.
(Factoid: Dover Castle was the target for the first bomb dropped on the British Isles in 1914.)

The city became known as 'Fortress Dover' when German aircraft bombed it consistently from 1941 to 1944--- there were even instances in which shells from huge cannons along the French coast fell on the city. Over two hundred Dover residents were killed and many thousands of homes and buildings destroyed by enemy bombs and shellfire. As memorialized in the song, The White Cliffs of Dover, the city became a symbol for both Britain's wartime bravery and its peoples' hope. (Click here to hear the Vera Lynn's version of this WW II classic.)

Tourists' Dover

Dover is a nice mix of the old and the new. It has plenty of modern shops, restaurants, and other attractions, nicely intermingled with the charm of an ancient town. From the Port of Dover to the town center is a one-mile walk (or quick cab ride). A shuttle bus is available to/from the town center. The Tourist Information Center is on Old Town Gaol Street. Although clearly lacking in glamour, Dover's main thoroughfare, Biggin Street, does serve as the gateway to several interesting attractions. Some visitors say that the best way to see the sights of Dover is board a double-decker bus at Market Square. The entire tour ride about an hour but it is possible to get off and on all day at any of eight stops, all with the same ticket.

De Bradelei Wharf is a row of shop under one roof on Wellington Quay, a warehouse has been converted into a large discount shopping area, including several famous brand outlets offering great bargains. There is something for everyone, clothes, china, glassware, sportswear, shoes, bed linen, candles, and good restaurants nearby. A very popular option for one-day visitors, forty-minute White Cliff Boat Tour trips leave regularly from the Clock Tower in the marina.

Thus, in many ways, Dover is England, and as Sir Walter Raleigh long ago wrote in “A Discourse of Sea Ports,” “No promontory, town or haven in Christendom is so placed by nature and situation both to gratify friends and annoy enemies as Your Majesties town of Dover.” To a great degree, that remains true in the twenty-first century--- the city's guns still point seaward, the bugles still call, and the Union Jack still flies above the Roman, Saxon, and Norman stones of one of Europe’s most storied fortresses. |

(Factoid: Thousands of Americans could answer Shakespeare's query, "Dost thou know Dover?" with a resounding, "YES," because there are no fewer than fifty places in the USA bearing the name of Dover!)

DOVER SIGHTSEEING

	Dover Castle
	Maison Dieu
	Battle of Britain Museum and Memorial
	Dover Museum & Bronze Age Boat Gallery
	Church of St. Mary the Virgin
	Other Attractions

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