Dover Castle

On my last school trip, our school decided to take us to Dover Castle to get to know more about ancient history. In Dover, Kent, England, there is a mediaeval castle called Dover Castle. It was established in the 11th century, and because of its defensive importance throughout history, it has been called the "Key to England." It is reportedly the biggest castle in England, a claim that Windsor Castle also makes. The Tudor dynasty maintained Dover's prominence, particularly after Henry VIII (reigned 1509–47) constructed artillery forts there and throughout the south coast in 1539–1540. In 1522, Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor, visited the castle and met Henry there at the beginning of a six-week diplomatic tour.

Dover castle was served in both world wars. In order to safeguard Dover and the Straits of Dover, it acted as a Fire Command Post, in charge of the coastal artillery that was stationed around the harbour. This was added in 1914, and the floor above it served as a port war signal station. During the Dunkirk Evacuation in 1940, the network of top-secret tunnels beneath Dover Castle served as the command centre for the spectacular rescue of British and allied troops. Enter these same tunnels for a multi-sensory experience that will bring this tale to life.

The spectacular keep was fortified by a circuit wall that had towers punctuating it, a double-towered gate that was joined to the outside wall by a little stone bridge, and a towered barbican of its own. The basement of this towered entrance building was reached through a passageway that featured three doors for extra protection.

The keep was constructed atop a core of regional ragstone rubble during a nine-year period of time using dressed Caen ashlar stone. It is built on a plinth and stands around 25.3 metres (83 feet) tall, with each side being about 29.5 metres (97 feet) long. One of the biggest of its kind in England. The strong walls, which can reach 6.4 metres (21 feet) in height, are each supported by a central pilaster buttress. In two of the four corners of the interior, spiral stairs were constructed. The entrance was on the first floor, which is above the ground floor, and as was customary for the time, was presumably reached by way of a wooden stairway on the outside of the tower that could be removed as needed to obstruct the adversary. This stairway was guarded at Dover Castle by the forebuilding, a towered entrance construction. There was a well-chamber to acquire fresh water with a shaft dropping over 73 metres inside the keep complex (240 ft). Additionally, there was a cistern in the courtyard for collecting rainwater, which was subsequently piped inside the keep.

The king's quarters, an audience hall, restrooms, and a chapel with a separate private entrance from the royal suites were all located in the keep. Local barons were expected to furnish guards on a rotating basis in order to ensure a competent defence should it be necessary. Such was the importance of the castle to the monarch that these came from everywhere in the southeast of England. Again, this was a rotating position. One baron was appointed constable of the castle, and some of the fortress's towers bear their names. The barons were forced to provide the funding to sustain such a force in the 13th century CE after concerns were expressed that a rotating army might not be as dependable or well-trained as a permanent garrison. The castle required frequent shipments of enormous quantities of wheat, barley, oats, fish, and wine, all of which were supplied by nearby estates.