Dover Castle
You only have to look at the surviving architecture at Dover Castle to understand how important it has been for millennia. As well as the medieval castle – the largest in England – there is also a Roman Lighthouse (Pharose), and a Saxon Church and burh (fortress). Dover Castle sits on one of the famous White Cliffs, from which the coast of France can be seen across the Channel on a clear day, and this proximity to continental Europe has led to its well-earned nickname of the ‘Key to England’. Even in World War II, Dover Castle played an important role.
Like most important English castles, Dover was originally founded by William the Conqueror, who recognized the site’s importance by appointing 8 knights to guard the coast from there. The design and appearance of today’s castle originate with Henry II, who built the keep and outer and inner baileys. During the First Barons’ War, in which powerful aristocrats sick of King John waged war against the king and made him sign the 1215 Magna Carta, the eventual King Louis VIII of France was invited to take the English Crown, and unsuccessfully attempted to take Dover Castle, breaching only the outer bailey.
Dover Castle was again besieged in 1265, during the Second Barons’ War, when it was held by Eleanor de Montfort, sister of Henry III and wife of his great enemy, Simon de Montfort (see Kenilworth Castle, above). Eleanor was a strong and assertive woman, who would not surrender Dover despite her husband’s death in 1265. The castle was blockaded, and food had to be plundered and smuggled in from the surrounding area. 14 royalist prisoners held in the castle eventually managed to convince their guards to release them, and Dover succumbed to attacks from within and without by Eleanor’s enemies.
In the event, Eleanor managed to negotiate her exile to France (where her surviving family were already waiting) and pardons for her supporters. The strength of the castle is demonstrated by the need for subterfuge rather than direct assault to capture it, and even when technology advanced in the Tudor Period, Dover was not abandoned. Henry VIII heavily fortified the South Coast of England to protect the country against France, and at Dover Castle he added many cannon and associated defensive walls. It was again captured by subterfuge rather than direct attack by Parliamentarians in the English Civil War.
Unlike many castles, Dover’s significance did not end with the Civil War. During the Napoleonic Wars, England was again wary of its proximity to France, and the outer defenses of the castle were remodeled to incorporate more heavy artillery to guard against potential French invasions. Simultaneously, extensive tunnels were dug 15 metres underground to house a garrison. In World War II, these tunnels were used as military headquarters, and Admiral Sir Bertram-Ramsey directed the evacuation of Dunkirk from beneath Dover Castle. During the Cold War, these tunnels housed a shelter for government officials in case of a nuclear attack.