Dover Castle crowns a commanding height above the port of Dover and preserves an exceptional span of England’s military history. Known as the “Key to England,” the site contains traces from possible Iron Age occupation, a rare Roman lighthouse later reused as a Saxon belfry, a Saxon church, and the great medieval fortress shaped especially under Henry II. It withstood major siege in 1216, was adapted for gunpowder warfare, and was captured for Parliament in 1642 without bloodshed. During the Napoleonic Wars vast tunnels and strengthened defences were added, and in 1940 those tunnels became the headquarters from which Operation Dynamo was directed.

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain

Photo: Wikipedia · Public domain