The White Cliffs of Dover

This top picture is of 'The Seven Sisters' at Beachy Head so shows how the white cliffs are not just  situated at Dover but stretch far along the South coast westward.

Yes, they really are white - they are chalk cliffs
for safety one is advised to stay 5 metres from the cliff edge as they are constantly eroding

One has to be on a boat to get these views so give credit to Google for these two pictures

We visited this light house, a 2 mile walk from the car park at the top of the cliffs at Dover, on our last visit and were able to look out from the top

Here we have left the castle and have come to walk along the cliffs and drink tea while looking down on  the Ferry Terminal

After all the walking involved in visiting the castle this is a welcome break - sitting down drinking tea that is!

If your screen is big enough you can just see France on the horizon in the centre of the picture 22 miles away

Trucks and cars waiting to load

Constant ferries in and out and a cruise ship near the centre horizon

Did you notice the cloud coming in while I took these pictures

Dover Castle - Pt. 2

At the heart of Dover Castle lies the inner bailey and The Great Tower. Built by King Henry II.
Glimpses of life in a Royal palace of this kind in 1180's has been recreated for visitors to explore

Obviously a servants area which seems to be a mixture of kitchen and laundry

These steps show the thickness of the walls and obviously one had to walk up the sill to look out

The nursery

the lavatory

Dining Hall

Throne Room

The Well

servants area

Here we have someone dressed as a king for the children's benefit

King's bedroom

schoolroom

chain armour

These different areas are all on different floors so can't imagine what it must have been like constantly walking up and down the rough stone stairways and in the footwear of the day

Dover Castle Pt. 1

For over 2,000 years these fortifications have protected the English coast. Henry II built the present castle in the 1180's, and over the next 800 years it's buildings and defences were adapted to meet the changing demands of weapons and warfare

For Alan and and I, it is a pleasant day in August and we find the car park full so are directed to this overflow field which soon fills up

There is a shuttle bus to take us to the castle but I prefer to walk rather than waiting around

It's not just a walk across the fields but by road right around the hill

First down the hill and then back up another hill 

This is not our first visit

The Battlements with the Spur Casements which go right around the castle

We arrive at Constable's Gate -the main entrance

It has taken us about half an hour from the car and I am hot and somewhat breathless 

Once inside there is a lot of tough walking but there is a land train for those that need it

Alan charging ahead while I am stopping to take photos

The Port of Dover

The drawbridge and gate to The Inner Bailey

King Henry II's Great Tower

Up and up we climb

there are about eight levels that take us quite high

In the centre of the photo here we see the curved hill that takes us to our car

Overlooking the town of Dover

and the Port

and here we are looking down on the cafe where we had lunch

more of Dover

and looking down here from one of the corner towers on the roof we look across to the top of the White Cliffs of Dover and the English Channel

The castle church to the right - St. Mary-in-Castro, the finest late Saxon building standing in Kent

We have now left the Great Tower

and in the next post I will show you inside where we will see some of a royal palace recreated to its 1180s glory

These Garrison buildings on the right mostly house various exhibitions - the only one we visited today was the museum of the Regiment of Diana the Princess of Wales

Now on our way down

to the Regimental Institute Restaurant where we have tea

before that long walk and climb back up the hill