Discover 11 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Dover (United Kingdom). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Dover Castle, South Foreland Lighthouse, and Dover Western Heights. Also, be sure to include South Foreland in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Dover (England).
Table of Contents
Dover Castle
Medieval castle in Dover, England. Dover Castle is a medieval castle in Dover, Kent, England. It was founded in the 11th century and has been described as the "Key to England" due to its defensive significance throughout history. Some sources say it is the largest castle in England, a title also claimed by Windsor Castle.[1]
Address: Castle Hill Rd, CT16 1HU Dover
South Foreland Lighthouse
Lighthouse in Saint Margaret's at Cliffe, England. South Foreland Lighthouses are a pair of Victorian lighthouses on the South Foreland in St. Margaret's Bay, Dover, Kent, England, used to warn ships approaching the nearby Goodwin Sands. There has been a pair of lighthouses at South Foreland since at least the 1630s. Even after the decommissioning of the Lower Lighthouse the pair continued to be used as leading marks, with Admiralty charts into the 20th century indicating that the 'Lighthouses in line lead south of the Goodwin Sands'.
South Foreland Upper Lighthouse was built in 1843. It went out of service in 1988 and is currently owned by the National Trust. It was first lighthouse to use an electric light, and was the site chosen by Guglielmo Marconi for his pioneering experiments in wireless radio transmissions.
South Foreland Lower Lighthouse was built at the same time further down the cliff, to the east, where it still stands; decommissioned in 1904, it is now in private ownership.[2]
Address: The Front, CT15 6HP Dover
Dover Western Heights
Fortress in Dover, England. The Western Heights of Dover are one of the most impressive fortifications in Britain. They comprise a series of forts, strong points and ditches, designed to protect the country from invasion. They were created in the 18th and 19th centuries to augment the existing defences and protect the key port of Dover from both seaward and landward attack; by the start of the 20th century Dover Western Heights was collectively reputed to be the 'strongest and most elaborate' fortification in the country. The Army finally withdrew from the Heights in 1956–61; they are now a local nature reserve.[3]
South Foreland
South Foreland is a chalk headland on the Kent coast of southeast England. It presents a bold cliff to the sea, and commands views over the Strait of Dover. It is centred 3 miles northeast of Dover and 15 miles south of North Foreland. It includes the closest point on the Island of Britain to the European mainland at a distance of 20.6 miles.
This proximity gives it military significance and during the Second World War its coastal battery was built, along with a radar station. Lying between the busy Port of Dover and the remote and hazardous Goodwin Sands sandbank, its two lighthouses were important for navigation before their disuse. Much of the area is now owned by the National Trust and is open to the public; it is traversed by the Saxon Shore Way, the Kent coastal walk.[4]
St Mary in Castro
St Mary sub Castro, or St Mary de Castro, often incorrectly "St Mary in Castro"), is a church in the grounds of Dover Castle, Kent, south-east England. It is a heavily restored Saxon structure, built next to a Roman lighthouse which became the church bell-tower. St Mary serves the local population and the army, and is the church of the Dover Garrison.[5]
Address: Dover Castle, Dover
Knights Templar Church
Church in Dover, England. The Knights Templar Church in Dover is the ruins of a medieval church on Bredenstone hill, part of the Dover Western Heights in Kent, England. It has been designated by English Heritage as a scheduled monument.[6]
St Mary's Church
Anglican church in Dover, England. The Church of St Mary the Virgin is a Grade II* listed Anglican church, a parish church in Dover, Kent, and is situated on Cannon Street in the town centre. There was a church on this site in Saxon times. It was largely rebuilt in the 19th century.[7]
Address: Cannon St, CT16 1BY Dover
Samphire Hoe
Nature preserve in Dover, England. Samphire Hoe is a country park situated 2 miles west of Dover in Kent in southeast England. The park was created by using 4.9 million cubic metres of chalk marl from the Channel Tunnel excavations and is found at the bottom of a section of the White Cliffs of Dover. The site is owned by Getlink, and managed by the White Cliffs Countryside Project.
It is accessible by the public via a single-track tunnel controlled by traffic lights, which crosses over the South Eastern Main Line running in a tunnel underneath. Visitor facilities are provided, including car parking, toilets and a café.[8]
Address: Samphire Rd, CT17 9FL Dover
St James' Church
Ruin in Dover, England. St James' Church is a ruined church in Dover, England. It was built in the 11th century and restored in the 19th century. Badly damaged in the Second World War, it is now preserved as a Grade II listed building.[9]
Address: 2 Castle Hill Road, Dover
Dover Museum
Museum in Dover, England. Dover Museum is a museum in Dover, Kent, in south-east England.[10]
Address: Market Square, CT16 1PH Dover
Langdon Bay
Bay in the United Kingdom. Langdon Bay is a bay in east Kent, England. It is two miles east of the town of Dover, and is named after the nearby villages of Langdon, East Langdon and West Langdon. The cliffs around it are known as the Langdon Cliffs. A prominent zig-zag path down the cliff-face is visible from the sea and connects with the National Trust path by means of a step ladder. An additional means of exit from the beach being a return on foot to St Margaret's Bay. At the far western end is a restricted area of the Port of Dover, and occasionally walkers will be escorted out by the Dover Port Police.[11]