Dubris, the Roman port at present-day Dover, occupied a strategic position at the narrowest part of the English Channel and became one of Roman Britain’s chief links with continental Europe. Julius Caesar first approached this shore in 55 B.C. but did not land there because Britons held the heights above the harbour. After the conquest of A.D. 43, Dubris developed into an important military and commercial base, with forts, naval installations, lighthouses, and a road connection inland. It later became the main Roman cross-Channel port. Its best-preserved remains include the Roman Painted House, whose surviving walls and decoration make Dubris crucial to understanding Roman Britain’s maritime frontier.

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain