The Great Tower
Henry II's rooms refurnished in vivid medieval colour, with a rooftop view over Dover harbour and the Calais ferries.
On a clear day you can see France from the walls. This is where the Channel narrows to about 33 kilometres, which is exactly why what is often called the largest castle in England sits on this chalk hill. What sets Dover apart from most European castles is that its history refuses to stop at the Middle Ages: on the hilltop stand a second-century Roman lighthouse, an Anglo-Saxon church and a royal keep from around 1180, and then you descend into tunnels from which, in May and June 1940, the evacuation of more than 300,000 soldiers from the beaches of Dunkirk was directed. The Great Tower is the heart of the visit. English Heritage has refurnished its rooms as they might have looked under Henry II, in bold colour with painted beds and a banqueting hall, rather than the bare stone you expect of a castle. Children love it more than the adults do, and the climb to the roof pays out a view over the harbour and the ferries sliding towards Calais. The neighbouring 1216 siege exhibition tells how the castle held out against the French prince Louis in an interactive format that does not outstay its welcome. The Secret Wartime Tunnels need a plain word of warning: the Operation Dynamo section, the one that tells the Dunkirk story, is currently closed for maintenance. What runs is the Underground Hospital tour, a guided visit on timed slots lasting about 20 minutes that fills quickly on busy days and is unsuitable for pushchairs and wheelchairs. Check the official site before you go if the tunnels are your main reason for coming. From Canterbury it is an easy day out: the train from Canterbury East to Dover Priory takes about 25 minutes, then either a steep 20-minute walk or a short taxi ride up to the gate, and showing a train or bus ticket at the gate - or turning up by bicycle - earns 20 percent off, though only on a ticket bought there on the day. By car the run down the A2 is about 35 minutes, with parking inside the castle grounds. A walk-up adult ticket is GBP 31.80 on a standard day, ranging from GBP 29.00 off-peak to GBP 34.50 at peak, and booking online by midnight the day before cuts that by about 15 percent, to between GBP 24.65 and GBP 29.32. The site is large and steep, so allow at least four hours, and bring a jacket even in July because the wind on the cliff never lets up. From November to mid-February the castle opens weekends only, 10:00 to 16:00, apart from the school half-term weeks when it opens daily, and it shuts on 24, 25 and 26 December; anyone wanting to round off the day walks over to the White Cliffs visitor centre next door.
Henry II's rooms refurnished in vivid medieval colour, with a rooftop view over Dover harbour and the Calais ferries.
A timed tour of the wartime hospital cut into the chalk; the Dunkirk section is currently closed for maintenance.
Two thousand years of history on one hilltop, with wide views over the harbour and the Channel from beside them.
Castle Hill, Dover CT16 1HU
Without hesitation, yes. Canterbury Castle is a small ruin you can only look at from the outside; Dover is a full day: colourful rooms children can explore, tunnels, walls to run along and the sea. But the site is steep and cobbled, so a pushchair is a genuine burden and is not allowed in the tunnels; under-twos are better in a carrier.
Yes, with adjusted expectations. The Dunkirk section, the strongest part of the story, is shut for now, and what you get is the short Underground Hospital tour. The Great Tower, the walls and the view more than cover the gap, but if the Second World War is your sole reason for coming, wait for the reopening or choose the Imperial War Museum in London.