While we were house-sitting in Reigate, our pet parents generously let us use their car throughout our stay. That made this day trip to Dover Castle possible. Without their kindness, we might not have had the time or opportunity to explore as much as we did. It was a lovely gesture, and one we really appreciated.
A practical tip if you’re borrowing a car in the UK: I have the Cuvva app, which offers temporary car insurance for eligible drivers. It can be useful for a day trip or a longer borrowing period, but check your licence and eligibility before relying on it. More information is at cuvva.com.
Dover Castle and its wartime tunnels
Dover Castle was a chance to explore layer after layer of history, from medieval stonework to the wartime tunnels. The signs led through different parts of the site, including the Great Tower, the Roman lighthouse and Saxon church, and the tunnels associated with Dover’s wartime defences. The Operation Dynamo displays brought another part of the castle’s history into focus.
Dover Castle as we walked up.A signpost on the lawn at Dover Castle, with a stone building behind.Looking down over Dover harbour.The open doors at the entrance to the wartime tunnels.A worn brick wall inside the tunnels.Looking along one of the tunnels, with a handrail down the side.Another long tunnel with an arched ceiling.A tunnel passage with a damp floor and a handrail.A tunnel passage with brick walls.A tunnel with blue light ahead and wooden shutters at the side.A bare room in the tunnels with a single folding chair.Other visitors walking ahead of us through the tunnels.A lit tunnel curving away into the distance.A display panel on the tunnel wall.A large arched tunnel room with a railing.A small office set up with a desk and papers.An information board about the wartime history.The entrance to one of the wartime tunnels.The view out over the harbour and the sea.
Inside the castle
There was so much to look at: thick stone walls, arches, staircases, narrow windows and rooms furnished to evoke another time. I particularly loved the scale of the Great Tower’s interiors, with their banners, timberwork and dramatic spaces. Outside, the gateways and old towers were just as impressive.
A dark tunnel passage.An information panel with illustrations of the castle.An anti-aircraft gun on the castle grounds.The sign beside the anti-aircraft gun.A lawn and a tree beside the old stone buildings.A gateway in the old castle walls.A path around the castle grounds.Heading towards one of the castle gateways.The view over the harbour and town from the castle wall.Looking back along the walls.Walking through one of the gatehouses.A path between stone walls leading towards the buildings beyond.The outer walls of the castle.One of the old stone buildings inside the grounds.A stone gatehouse with an arched passage through it.A red vintage van parked on the cobbles.Castle ruins on the grass, with a metal sculpture in front.The courtyard inside the walls.A grassy bank below the castle walls.A stone gateway leading through to the path beyond.Castle walls beside a wooden walkway.An old stone archway.A stone tower rising from the grass.Looking through a stone archway out to the light.Steps leading up through a dark archway.The Great Tower.Walking towards the Great Tower.Steps up to the entrance of the Great Tower.A small chapel inside the Great Tower.The stairs inside the Great Tower.Climbing the stairs, with banners hanging above.A narrow passage inside the tower.A small room set up with a table and benches.A deep window set into the thick walls.A decorated doorway inside the tower.Looking through to the great hall.One of the rooms inside the tower.Old wooden equipment in one of the rooms.Wooden buckets in a stone room.A hall hung with red curtains.Another view of the red curtained hall.A dark stone passage.A stone room lit blue, with a red curtain at the side.Light coming through a narrow window.A painted wooden door.A stone alcove in the wall.A narrow passage through the thick stone walls.The arches and windows of one of the chapels.Looking out through the gateway.The path down towards the old church.The church of St Mary in Castro, next to the Roman lighthouse.The Roman lighthouse up close.The doorway into the church.The chapel, with visitors in the seats.A narrow stone room with a small window.Inside the chapel, looking down the rows of pews.A tall stone tower with a window high up.The church and the lighthouse side by side.A stone passage with light coming in from above.A gateway looking out to the greenery beyond.A leafy path on the way out.
The White Cliffs I remembered
I had especially wanted to see the White Cliffs of Dover because I remembered the old song from when I was a young girl. I did see them across the harbour and managed to take a couple of photographs, but I was disappointed not to get closer on this trip. That’s one experience I’d still love to come back for.
Boats in Dover marina, with the white cliffs behind them. We saw the cliffs from the docks.Another view of the white cliffs from the Dover docks, with the marina in front.
