Dover Castle is one of the largest not only in England, but throughout Europe. Moreover, it has been preserved in excellent condition - even now it is possible to study the history of European castle architecture from it. Actually, now its function is exactly this: a museum, a textbook, a film set ... And once the citadel of Dover was called the keys to England.
English archaeologists and historians believe that people have settled in Dover since time immemorial. It is painfully convenient for a settlement: a hill, convenient for defense, next to the Strait of Pas de Calais, the Douai River flows. The bay is well sheltered from the winds and waves by natural breakwaters.
ghost settlement
Many items from both the Stone Age and the Bronze Age are found in the vicinity. At the entrance to Dover Bay, scuba divers found the oldest ship in English waters, it is over four thousand years old. But no traces of settlements or fortifications erected before the Roman conquest have been found.
In 43 BC, the foot of a Roman legionary first set foot on the land of Foggy Albion. So, by the way, it was the Latins who called England - for the white color of the chalk rocks, which make up the hill on which the castle stands. The Romans landed, most likely somewhere nearby, since this is the closest place to the continent of the British Isles, it can be seen from the French coast in clear weather.
It was on the territory of the future fortress that the Romans built, probably, their first building on the territory of Britain. These were two lighthouses, and one of them can still be seen inside the fortress. Gradually, a small settlement and a kind of transit point arose around the lighthouses. They named him Dubris.
The port, warehouses, barracks, a kind of hotel for important travelers en route from Rome were quickly equipped. According to Roman rule, all this was surrounded by a moat and a wall.
Dover was not only an important port, but also the base of the fleet, which counteracted the Frisian pirates. But in 410, the Roman emperor Honorius announced the end of the Roman protectorate over Britain, and she was left to her own devices. The Latin raid rapidly disappeared from the local population, the descendants of the Romans for the most part moved to the continent, and no one needed Dover. Around the year 600, the last inhabitants left it.
New conquerors
400 years have passed, and the last Anglo-Saxon king Harold became interested in the well-preserved fortress. England then suffered from the constant raids of the Vikings, and the fortress on the seashore, and even with a good harbor, seemed to him a valuable property.
In 1064, some buildings were repaired, the Roman wall was restored, and the ditch was re-dug. In the center of the fort, the church of St. Mary Castro was erected (it has survived to this day), and at first the role of the donjon was to be performed by a Roman lighthouse. But Harold did not have time to really strengthen the citadel.
The Norman Duke William the Bastard, who had not yet become the Conqueror, landed in England without a clear plan, and if the British had sat behind the walls of castles and fortresses, then the uninvited guests would most likely have to get out. But William imposed on Harold the battle of Hastings, during which the Anglo-Saxon king was killed and his army defeated.
William went to be crowned at Westminster Abbey. His path lay past Dover Fort. In addition to diggers and artisans, its garrison consisted of three knights and two dozen warriors. Even with such a small force, they repelled several assaults before the Normans did not guess to tell them that Harold was dead, and there was no point in resisting. The garrison immediately surrendered, and William stayed at Dover for a whole week. He gave instructions on the necessary work to improve, expand and strengthen the existing fort.
William left a commandant in Dover and ordered that the taxes received from the surrounding lands be spent only on maintaining the citadel in order. Later, when compiling the Domesday Book (the first census of population, land, and settlements in the history of England), Dover Castle was valued at 40 pounds - a huge amount for those times.
Against the elements
Close to the modern look, the castle took over under the grandson of Wilhelm - Henry II. In 1179, he undertook a massive rebuilding, for which he spent almost 7,000 pounds in eight years, most of it on a huge donjon. This roughly corresponded to the income of the British crown for the year. But during the life of Henry did not have time to finish the construction.
The sons of Henry, Richard I the Lionheart and John the Landless, brought the matter to an end. The first, however, limited himself to financing the work, but the second, having lost part of his possessions, even moved to Dover in 1204. Additional buildings were erected inside the castle and the walls of the castle were strengthened.
In 1216, the First Barons' War broke out - the aristocracy rebelled against King John. The battles went on with varying success, and the barons invited the French prince Louis (the future king of France, Louis VIII) to take the throne. On May 22, 2016, he laid siege to Dover, the most powerful fortress that remained in the hands of John.
Once the besiegers managed to make such a skillful dig that part of the wall collapsed and the gate collapsed. They went on a desperate attack, but the garrison was able to repulse the attack and close the gap. On October 19, Prince Louis was forced to lift the siege. A year later, he tried again, but again without success.
In 1256, under the son of John - Henry III - an outer wall was erected, expanding the boundaries of the castle to the white cliffs, that is, the current limit. The inner chambers were also slightly rebuilt: now they were more in line with the ideas of the crowned persons about domestic amenities.
Over time, the power of artillery began to exceed the stability of the fortress walls, and almost every subsequent British monarch contributed to the strengthening and modernization of the castle. Ultimately, the structure became so powerful that it withstood the devastating earthquake of 1580, which destroyed more than one English stronghold.
Castle Dungeons
With the strengthening of the castle, it became necessary to place a large number of soldiers and their ammunition somewhere. An original solution was found: at a depth of 15 meters, special tunnels were cut inside the rocky rock, in which soldiers' barracks were placed. The first soldiers were stationed in them in 1803, and at the height of the Napoleonic Wars, more than two thousand soldiers lived in the tunnels. By that time it was the only underground barracks in the UK. At the end of the Napoleonic Wars, the tunnels housed an anti-smuggling service. In 1826, the tunnels were abandoned for almost 100 years.
In 1939, the tunnels were converted first into a bomb shelter, then into a command center and an underground hospital. In 1941, the command center was equipped with special telephone communications. Later, the tunnels were planned to be used as shelters in the event of a nuclear attack. 
Donjon of Dover Castle
1 - entrance staircase
2 - spiral staircase in the corner tower
3 - buttress
4 - storage basement
5 - main floor
6 - watchtower
7 - transverse wall separating the donjon
8 - roof with double slope
9 - pedestrian parapet
10 - rooms in the walls
11 - lower chapel
For the king and his retinue
The castle, as before, consists of two rows of thick defensive walls, in the center of which is the main tower - the donjon. The thickness of its walls is 6.5-7 meters. The tower itself has an almost cubic shape: the length and width are 30 meters each, and the height is 29 meters. The entrance to the donjon is located unusually - on the second floor. In addition, an external staircase leads to it.
There are four floors in total. The first and fourth were intended for utility rooms. The second and third, having almost the same plan, served as living quarters for the kings and their retinue. These are three large halls, a huge bedroom, six smaller rooms and latrines.
Command post
In 1642, Dover Castle was again under siege. The city remained loyal to King Charles I, and a powerful garrison settled in the citadel. For a long time the troops of the parliament trampled along the walls, not knowing how to approach. As a result, the assault was not needed - the castle was taken by deception without a single shot being fired.
During the Napoleonic Wars, when England was threatened with invasion, Dover Citadel was turned into an impregnable outpost against aggression. The foundations of the walls were once again reinforced, and casemates were knocked out in the rocky foundation, which became barracks for two thousand soldiers. By the way, in good weather from the donjon one could see the Boulogne camp of the enemy invading army.
In the 1830s, the casemates were abandoned for almost a hundred years. They were remembered during the First World War, when the castle became a key point of coastal defense. Here was the headquarters of the British squadron, which blocked the Germans from the way to the English Channel. In addition, it was the main port for sending troops and supplies to France. The city and the castle were repeatedly raided by German airships.
During World War II, Dover Citadel played an even more important role. An underground hospital and a command post were equipped there, from which Admiral Ramsay coordinated the evacuation of the Anglo-French troops from Dunkirk. The castle retained its significance for some time after the war - they planned to equip bomb shelters there in case of a nuclear war. But in the 1950s, the Dover Citadel was "demobilized": now there is only a museum there.
Dover Castle (original nameDover Castle) - the largest palace in terms of area in England - a giant building with a history of 2000 years! Imagine what a long-liver. And today, anyone can safely visit it and see with their own eyes the "key to England." That is how it is called by both locals and tourists. At the moment there is a museum.
Where is the English castle of Dover
Dover Castle is located in the city of Dover of the same name, in Kent, on the English Channel, namely in the Pas de Calais (also called the Strait of Dover) - the narrowest part of the English Channel - only 34 kilometers from Great Britain to France. That is why the palace was an important English strategic object.
Getting to it is very easy. And you will also have the opportunity to admire the snow-white chalk cliffs, which are a defensive fortification for the castle and are no less attractive than the palace itself.
Historical facts of the ancient castle of Dover
And what kind of castle is this, and who built it and why? Let's find out.
Some buildings of the palace were built before the beginning of our era. And the fortress was protected by a giant moat, dug in the Iron Age. In the 1st century AD (around 50 AD), the Romans came to the British Isles and built 2 lighthouses on the territory of the fortress. One of them has survived to the present day. You will see it if you visit Dover.
Around the 10th century, the church of St. Mary Castro was attached to one of the lighthouses, and the lighthouse itself served as a bell tower at that time. The church has survived to this day.
In the 11th century, or to be more precise, in 1066, William the Conqueror captured the palace in England. And already his grandson Henry II begins to build a large main tower and a defensive wall. A gigantic amount of 7,000 pounds was spent on the entire construction. The main tower of the Donjon took as much as 4,000 pounds. Now the palace is fully equipped: fireplaces in every room, latrines, plumbing, two large chapels and luxurious spiral staircases decorated the interior (by the way, read about the Spanish Steps in Rome). No castle could match the power of Dover Castle.
Then in the 13th century, after Henry's death, the northern Norfolk Gate and several towers were added by John the Landless. In total there were fourteen of them throughout the fortress. During the reign of John's son Henry III, the fortress in England gained its modern dimensions. It expanded to the whitest rocks.
During the Napoleonic Wars, and this is the 18th century, at a depth of 15 meters under the fortress, long tunnels were cut, in which soldiers lived, the number of which numbered 2,000 people. The castle itself was fortified and expanded for a more reliable defense of England from the French. After 1826 the castle was abandoned. No one lived here, and its fortresses were not used in any way. But about a century later, in 1939, during the Second World War, the tunnels were converted first into a bomb shelter, and then into a military hospital, like the building.
Dover Castle - as a museum for tourists and travelers
Today, the castle is a huge museum complex that everyone can visit. The main entrance is the gate of the Constable (commandant).
You can enter the courtyard through two gates: the northern one is the King's Gate.
And the southern one is the Palace Gate.
The castle consists of two rows of thick defensive walls, in the center of which is the main tower - the donjon. The donjon walls are 6.5-7 meters wide. The tower itself has an almost cubic shape: the length and width are 30 meters each, and the height is 29 meters. The location of the entrance to the main tower is unusual. It is located on the second floor. In addition, an external staircase leads to it. In total, the donjon has 4 floors.
The first and fourth floors of the donjon were intended for utility rooms. And the second and third, having almost the same plan, served as living rooms for kings. In total, there are three large halls inside the fortress, a huge bedroom, six smaller rooms and latrines.
Where is Dover Castle located on the map
“He then proceeded to Dover, where a large army was said to have assembled. The English, horrified at his approach, had no confidence either in the power of the walls or in the number of soldiers ... While the inhabitants were preparing to surrender unconditionally to the mercy of the winner, the Normans, greedy for profit, set fire to the city and soon most of it was on fire. [William then paid for the repairs and] took the castle and spent eight days adding new fortifications to the castle"
William of Poitier, Norman historian, on the capture of Dover by William the Conqueror.
We haven't traveled for a long time , and have not been to England for a doubly long time. Let's fix...
Dover Castle is one of the most powerful historical fortresses in Western Europe. For many centuries it has stood guard over the shortest sea route from England to the continent. Its location on the banks of the Pas de Calais, known in England as the Straits of Dover, gave Dover Castle great strategic importance, resulting in the castle playing an important role in the history of England. Its shape was largely predetermined by the Iron Age fortification that existed here earlier, inside the walls of which there was a Roman lighthouse and an Anglo-Saxon church. Perhaps later they became part of the Saxon Burg, which stood here until September 1066.
In the same month William the Conqueror, Count of Normandy, to consolidate his success at the battle of Hastings, builds the first castle of earth and wood before continuing his march on London. From that moment until October 1958, the castle was always guarded by an armed garrison - i.e. for 892 years.
During the Middle Ages, the castle served as a border fortress facing the lands of the hostile counts of Flanders and the kings of France. Under Henry II, the castle was given a concentric defensive form, which included successive walls with towers. This was a novelty in fortification, which had no analogues in Europe. In 1216, Dover successfully withstood a long siege. By 1250, its defensive structures had acquired the scale and forms that form the current appearance of Dover Castle, which has always been one of the symbols of royal power.
In the 16th century, with the development of artillery, the defensive value of castles began to decrease and Dover was modernized. Then the castle was renovated again in the 1750s and during the Napoleonic Wars. The last significant strengthening of the castle defenses and the installation of new artillery batteries was carried out in the 1870s, which allowed Dover to maintain the status of a first-class fortress almost until the end of the 19th century.
During both world wars, the fire armament of the castle was improved. In May 1940, the headquarters of the British Navy was located in the rock below the castle, from where Vice Admiral Bertram Ramsey successfully led the evacuation of the British army from Dunkirk. In the 1960s, the castle tunnels became the Regional Government Residence in case of a nuclear war, and only in 1984 their use was finally abandoned.
Let's learn more about the history of this castle...
In November 1066, after William the Conqueror landed in Pivensey Bay, his victorious army moved along the coast to Dover. The local population quickly surrendered to the mercy of the conquerors, and William set up a fortified camp here for eight days before marching on Canterbury. These early Norman fortifications have vanished without trace, but archeological excavations show that they were most likely centered around a Roman lighthouse and a Saxon church, surrounded by a wooden palisade and a moat. During the next year, the new fortress proved its worth, repelling the attack of the troops of Count Eustachius II of Boulogne, who came to the aid of the rebels of Kent.
Almost nothing is known about the life of the castle between 1067 and 1160. In 1154, Henry II becomes king of England, famous as one of the greatest medieval castle builders. The chronicles of the royal accounts of Henry II show that in England alone, changes affected more than 90 fortifications, among which the largest item of expenditure falls on Dover Castle. In the 1160s and 1170s, insignificant sums were spent on the renovation of the castle's defenses, but between 1179 and 1188, expenses increased dramatically. It was during this period that most of the current castle was created, which we can admire today. Much of the work was done under the direction of Maurice the Engeniator, one of Europe's most skilled medieval military engineers. Under his leadership, the main keep, walls and towers of the courtyard were erected. He also began the construction of part of the walls of the outer courtyard and, therefore, can rightly be called the first constructor of a concentric castle.
After the death of Henry II in 1189, Dover Castle was still a huge construction site. In 1204, King John allocates significant funds to complete the reconstruction of the castle. The work was focused on improving the outer defensive perimeter. Massive D-shaped towers appear along the walls. By 1215, all the fortifications of the castle were so fortified that they could withstand any, the most powerful, attack of the enemy.
During the war of King John the Landless against the union of barons, Dover Castle entered perhaps the brightest page in its history. In May 1216, a French army under the command of Prince Louis (the future King Louis VIII) landed at Thanet to support the revolt of the rebellious barons. King John had enough time to retaliate. Before retreating to Winchester, he replenished the reserves of Dover Castle and left in it a detachment of 140 knights and a large number of well-armed foot soldiers under the command of Hubert de Burgh, Justicar of England. He was an experienced warrior and became famous during the heroic defense of Chinon Castle in 1205. By the autumn of 1216, only two castles, Windsor and Dover, remained in the hands of the crown in southern England.
The active siege began in mid-July. Louis divided his forces. One part of the French army remained in the city, while the other set up camp on a hill opposite the castle. He also instructed his fleet to blockade the castle from the sea. Catapults and mangonels were installed to bombard the walls and gates, and a huge siege tower was made for the assault. From the historical chronicles that have come down to us with a description of these events, we can confidently assume that the French were located opposite the northern gate. From here they began to bombard the outer wall, while the sappers slowly began to dig a tunnel under the northern barbican (the fortification located in front of the main gate). The defenders of the castle successfully resisted the attacks of the French, but undermining the barbican forced them to retreat through the northern gate.
After that, the French sappers began to dig a tunnel under the eastern tower of the northern gate. The defenders were aware of the intentions of the French, since there are still small tunnels in the castle, dug apparently to intercept enemy sappers. When the tower collapsed, the French rushed into the gap, but Hubert de Burgh and his knights were ready for this. The defenders of Dover fought very desperately and did not allow the enemy to pass through the breach.
This was the climax of the siege. Louis was more and more dissatisfied with fruitless attempts to take possession of the castle, and, in the end, he was forced to agree to a truce in early autumn. In October, King John the Landless dies, and his son Henry III is proclaimed the new monarch of England. For Dover, the truce lasted until spring. In May 1217, Louis returned to England again and resumed the siege. However, after 3 days, the French troops were defeated near Lincoln, which actually meant the end of hostilities. During the year of war and truce, Dover remained impregnable, although it suffered significant damage.
The siege of 1216-17 caused considerable damage to the defenses of Dover. The northern line of defense of the castle was especially damaged. With the accession to the throne of England by Henry III, in Dover in 1220, large-scale restoration work began, the royal executor of which was appointed Hubert de Burgh. The northern gate, the capture of which almost led to the loss of the castle, was tightly sealed. On the other side of the moat, St. John's Tower was being built, from which a clear view of all the northern fortifications was opened. This allowed for more skillful leadership of the defense. The north gate was moved to Connetable Gate on the west side of the castle. The steep earthen slopes on the approach to the wall, as well as the concentration of six towers here, made these new gates almost impregnable for the attackers. The second entrance - FitzWilliam's Gate was built on the east side of the castle.
In addition to work on these three gates, the construction of the outer wall was completed, extending from the Peverel Tower to the edge of the cliff, and a powerful earthen rampart was poured around the church and lighthouse. Initially, a wooden palisade ran over this rampart, which was later replaced by a stone wall in the 1250s. The pillars of this wall are still visible today. Upon completion of all these large-scale works, Dover reached the peak of its defensive power. These huge concentric defensive lines of walls and towers, as well as its exceptional strategic location, so delighted the chronicler of the period Matthew Paris (Matthew Paris) that in his chronicles he called the castle-fortress of Dover "The Key to England".
In historical documents, you can also find information about the expenditure of funds to improve the economic and residential parts of the castle. An example of such evidence is the record of the construction in 1221 of a bakery in addition to the new granary, and of the construction of a windmill in 1234 to provide the garrison with flour. In 1240, new buildings were erected on the southeastern side of the courtyard: a large royal hall, later called Arthur's Hall, and the royal chambers.
Before the famous siege of 1216, the castle garrison consisted of about a dozen knights and a detachment of foot soldiers, as well as, of course, housekeeping servants. The supply of the garrison, according to feudal duty, was entrusted to local barons, which could not but cause their discontent. After the war with the French, the protection of the castle began to receive a permanent monetary allowance from the royal treasury, which made it possible to improve its professional level.
During the reign of King Stephen (1135-54), the post of constable was introduced to manage the castle. A century later, to avoid administrative disputes, the office of constable was merged with that of Lord Lieutenant of the Confederation of Five Ports. This placed a double responsibility on the constable. He had not only to look after the castle and ensure the hospitality of important officials, ambassadors and royals, on their way to the continent and back, but also to monitor the reliability of the protection of the coastline of southeast England. His duties also included ensuring the safety of merchant shipping through the strait, as well as providing a fleet of five ports for military needs at the request of the king. Later, in order to facilitate the work of the constable, part of the duties directly related to the care of the castle was assigned to his deputy. At the beginning of the eighteenth century the constable, whose role had by now become largely ceremonial, moved his official residence to Walmer Castle.
By 1500, the main bastions of the castle could no longer successfully resist the emerging more and more new types of weapons. In order not to lose a strong point in such an important strategic area, Dover's first line of defense was now located at harbor level. The castle continues to be visited by royalty. So in 1539, King Henry VIII lived in it, and in 1573 Queen Elizabeth I was located. In 1624, careful preparations were made in the main tower of Dover Castle for the noble reception of Henrietta Maria of France, during her journey to England to marry Charles I. in 1642 the Civil War divided the city and the castle into two camps. The city of Dover supported Parliament, while the castle garrison remained loyal to the king. In the autumn of the same year, a small group of citizens entered the castle from the side of the cliff, thereby catching the unsuspecting guards by surprise. Literally after the first shots, the castle fell.
After the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, grandiose plans to plant a powerful garrison in the castle were limited to placing an artillery battery of 17 guns at the foot of the cliff. At the end of the 17th century, Dover Castle remained largely uninhabited, with the exception of the main keep, which was used as a prison for prisoners of war.
This state of affairs persisted until 1740, when a new series of events began in the life of the castle, connected with the European wars in which Great Britain participated. And each time, Dover's defenses were forced to improve and modernize. If in 1066 the army of William the Conqueror was able to land unhindered on the coast near Pivensey, then by the 18th century, when heavy artillery became a key component of any army, it required the use of a convenient harbor for its landing. Dover harbour, the closest to mainland Europe, naturally became a prime target for any enemy planning an invasion of the island.
Since 1740, to protect the harbor of Dover from direct attack from the sea, additional artillery forts were established. At the same time, Dover Castle was assigned the role of protecting the city and port from land, in case the enemy landed his forces in the Valmer area and tried to capture the harbor from the rear.
In 1745, additional barracks were built in the courtyard of the castle to accommodate more troops. In addition, in the 1750s, in the main donjon, additional living quarters were equipped for personnel. In 1755, the section of the wall from Avranches Tower to the Norrle Towers was rebuilt to accommodate two batteries of heavy artillery and infantry with small arms. All these improvements were made in order to protect the castle from attack from a higher point in the northeast. This was the first major change to Dover's defensive structures in over 500 years.
A new reconstruction touched the castle at the end of the 18th century during the wars with Napoleonic France. Under the leadership of Colonel William Twiss, the outer defenses of the castle were completely rebuilt. It included powerful new bastions equipped with artillery positions: Horseshoe, Hudson's, East Arrow and East Demi. They were supposed to increase firepower when attacking from the east side. For additional protection from the west, the Constable Bastion was built. At the northern end of the castle, a redan and a high artillery platform were installed, and in the main keep, the roof was replaced with a massive brick ceiling, which made it possible to place artillery at the highest point. To facilitate the movement of troops between the city and the castle, Twiss built the Gun Gate. According to his instructions, the entire interior of the castle was filled with barracks and warehouses, and when it was exhausted, the barracks began to be placed underground. In addition to these works, Twiss built a series of fortifications in the Western Heights on the opposite side of the city. These large-scale transformations meant that Dover was now perfectly protected not only from attack from the sea, but also from attack from land. During the entire period of this reconstruction of 1803-05, the city and the castle were filled with troops, as England lived in anticipation of the Napoleonic invasion.
The defeat of Napoleonic France leads to a noticeable reduction in the strength of the Dover Castle garrison. But in the 1850s, in connection with the advent of steam military and transport ships, and the improvement of weapons, the issue of re-equipping the castle again gained relevance. Inside the castle, the Royal Gate and the inner wall were reconstructed. The main keep again returned to its medieval use as a last stronghold. However, all this involved only minor superficial improvements. With regard to new types of weapons, the castle looked outdated as a military fortress, and in 1860, to the northeast of the castle, the construction of a new fort Burgoyne began, which was supposed to be assigned the functions of its medieval predecessor. Dover Castle itself continued to be used as a garrison headquarters. In 1862, Sir George Gilbert Scott restored the ruined chapel of St. Mary de Castro to be used as a garrison church. The last rearmament took place in the 1870s, by placing a series of batteries along the edge of the cliff to protect the harbour. Ammunition for them was stored in a large underground storage facility built to the west of the New Officers' Barracks.
New pages in the history of the castle were also written in connection with the development of aviation. In 1909, Louis Blariot, the first aviator to fly over the Strait of Dover, landed his aircraft on the hillside at FitzWilliam Gate. At the end of the First World War, German bombers could already cross the strait, so the castle was equipped with its own anti-aircraft guns and powerful searchlights. In 1938, due to the growing threat of a new war, the old barracks tunnels, used as armories, were converted into bomb shelters to house coastal and anti-aircraft artillery commanders, as well as the headquarters of the Royal Navy. To the northeast of the castle were the towers of Britain's new radar circuit.
Since the beginning of active hostilities in Western Europe, the castle has become the focal point of the British Navy. In May 1940, during an offensive operation against France, the Nazi armored forces were able to split the integrity of the British and French armies within three weeks. The British Expeditionary Force and part of the French troops were locked in a bridgehead near the city of Dunkirk. On May 25, the port of Boulogne fell, and the port of Calais was captured the next day. That same evening, the British government decides to evacuate its troops from the mainland from the only surviving port of Dunkirk. Commander-in-Chief of the Fleet, Vice Admiral Bertram Ramsey, was given a period of less than a week to prepare a rescue operation that went down in history under the code name Operation DYNAMO. The operational headquarters of the operation was located in Ramsey's office in the casemate of the Admiralty. Operation Dynamo lasted from May 26 to June 3. In the course of it, from the mainland, under the incessant attacks of German aviation and fleet, it was possible to return to their homeland 228 thousand English, as well as 139 thousand French soldiers.
In 1940, after the fall of France, the Royal Engineers set to work under the castle to build a remarkable complex of tunnels linked to the old Napoleonic tunnels. They remained safe even during powerful massive air raids. The first series of tunnels, which housed the underground hospital, was completed in 1941, the second one, which runs below the Napoleonic tunnels, in 1942. It was supposed to serve as a place for the Joint Headquarters of all branches of the armed forces, in case the Pas de Deux was chosen as the place for the opening of the 2nd front in 1944 - Calais, not Normandy. The castle was in operation until the very end of the war in May 1945.
Garinizon was in the castle until 1958. In 1962, most of the fortress was transferred to the Ministry of Works in order to preserve it. However, in the same year, due to the outbreak of the Caribbean Crisis, Dover Castle was given a new role. For 22 years, the castle tunnels were considered a regional government nuclear bomb shelter and were on the list of secret objects of special purpose. In 1984, the tunnels ceased to be used in this capacity, removing most of the special equipment from them.
Very few medieval castles have such a long and eventful history. None of them has undergone such a series of upgrades and improvements to be ready for new forms of warfare each time. The history of Dover Castle is very closely intertwined with the history of Britain, through which he quite deservedly carried his medieval name "Key to England".
On the hill, at the highest point in the vicinity of Dover Castle, there are two interesting historical buildings - the remains of the Roman Lighthouse and the Saxon Church. The mound surrounding them is officially dated to the 13th century, but archaeologists have dated the foundations of this mound as early as the 11th century, believing that it delimited the territory of the first small castle built by William the Conqueror.
In the second half of the 1st century AD, the Romans began to develop Dover as a port settlement. To make it safer to navigate ships through the strait, they built three lighthouses. One, the Tour d'Audre, was at Boulogne, and the other two were at Dover, on high ground on either side of the harbour. From the western lighthouse, only subtle traces of the foundation remained. The eastern lighthouse has survived to this day, being one of the most remarkable monuments of Roman Great Britain.
This Roman lighthouse was originally an octagonal tower with eight tiers, of which only four have survived today. The total height of the tower was about 24 meters. On each tier there were wooden decks, and on the topmost there was obviously a platform for kindling a fire. After the departure of the Romans, the lighthouse began to gradually turn into ruins. Its appearance last changed between 1415 and 1437, when it was used as a bell tower for a nearby church.
Adjacent to the lighthouse is the Church of Santa Maria de Castro. Despite extensive reconstruction in the 19th century, it still bears the features of the original historical color, remaining a beautiful Saxon monument in Kent, dating back to about 1000 AD. Its location and the numerous finds of Saxon burials south of the church suggest that there was a fairly lively settlement in this place before the Norman conquest. It was probably originally part of the Anglo-Saxon burgh, a fortified settlement from the Iron Age period. Its builders made extensive use of Roman tiles. Some details of the interior, such as the vault above the altar and windows, indicate that around 1200 the church was reconstructed. Most likely, the same masons who worked on the chapels of the main donjon of Dover Castle worked on it. In terms of the plan, the church retained the cruciform shape inherent in the Saxon style.
By the beginning of the 18th century, the church was badly dilapidated. During the Napoleonic Wars (1803-15) it was used as an exercise room and later as a garrison coal store. In 1862, the church was restored by the architect Sir George Gilbert Scott, and in 1888 William Butterfield completely restored the tower and added mosaic decorations to the vault.
Here are stories that, like most legends, of course, contain a certain amount of truth, while the fiction and fantasy present in them allows us to get to know more closely how our ancestors thought and lived.
Human sacrifice for protection from evil spirits
While Dover Castle was being built, the masons were amazed at how quickly one of its towers (the Peverell Tower) collapsed. They continued to build it, but it stubbornly fell apart, and no one could understand why. The builders were not inclined to blame themselves, so they decided that all the destruction was the result of the malicious actions of the spirits who longed for repose. An elderly woman with a dog passed by the walls of the castle, the men seized them both and walled them up alive as a sacrifice to angry spirits. The curse of the old woman, which she invoked on their heads, did not frighten the builders. And after the construction was completed, the foreman crashed to death, falling from the tower. According to rumors, the same curse worked. It should be noted that in the Middle Ages, people were often laid in the foundation as a sacrifice to evil spirits.
The stick has taken root
A soldier from Dover Castle killed a man with a stick. Donald, that was his name, was sure that he would escape punishment, since there was not a single witness to the crime around. After that, the soldier made a strange deal with himself. Sticking a stick in the ground near the road, he wished that he would be safe until the stick took root. Later, his regiment was sent abroad. When he returned almost 20 years later and Donald came to Dover, he found to his amazement that the stick had turned into a beautiful elm.
Overwhelmed with guilt for what he had done many years ago, he confessed to his crime. He was tried, found guilty, and hanged next to his tree.
headless ghost drummer boy at Dover Castle
A drummer boy died at Dover Castle. It is believed that it is his headless ghost that roams the castle. The boy was on an assignment from his commander involving a large amount of money, but in the process he was attacked by thugs. He defended himself bravely and tried to keep the money he was entrusted with. However, there were more opponents, and he was beheaded.
A medium named David Akora conducted an on-site investigation and concluded that the boy had been attacked by his regimental comrades. He suggested that the headless body of the boy was found in 1802, while the head itself, oddly enough, was never found. Akora was convinced that the boy was from Cork, Ireland, and that his mother's name was Mary. He also added that he would try to free the boy's spirit. 
Odo, Bishop of Baye - Storm of Ships
Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, was the half-brother of King William the Conqueror. He envied his brother and wanted to take the royal presto himself. The thirst for power and the terror to which he called and which soon spread throughout the country made him the object of universal hatred.
Odo was ambitious, in addition, greedy for gold and riches at the time he took his brother's place. He planned to ruin the Saxon landowners by taking them from their possession and appropriating them. As he got richer, he handed over the property to his friends and family. His impudence and arrogance knew no bounds: he even confiscated the town hall from the king himself.
Because of his stupidity, many ships perished. In the middle of the 11th century, Dover was a busy port from which ships regularly sailed to France. This did not bother Odo, who allowed his tenant to build a mill at the entrance to Dover Harbour. This structure was the cause of unrest at sea, which in turn complicated the management of ships. As a result, many of them went to the bottom.
In addition to all of the above, Odo asked the English knights for assistance in his plan to overthrow the Pope in order to subsequently take his place. An army was raised for a campaign in Italy, but Odo was arrested, tried and sentenced as a secular person under the title of Earl of Kent. He was imprisoned and stayed there until 1087, when William released him and even generously returned his earldom.
Among the huge number of castles in Great Britain, Dover Castle Museum is especially popular with tourists. This is facilitated by the honorary title of the most ancient castle in Great Britain, and numerous legends associated with the history of the castle, because for a long time it was the residence of royal families.
Story
A giant fortification appeared on the banks of the Pas de Calais even before the beginning of our era, in the pre-Roman era of these lands. Subsequently, such a strategically advantageous location of Dover Castle between France and England secured its symbolic name - "the key to England".
Too little has survived from the former prehistoric buildings of the castle to this day, but historians can judge from these remains that the castle originally stood on an ancient cape, located much higher than the level of urban developments. A vivid confirmation of this fact is the moat that protected Dover Castle from the enemy and was created back in the Iron Age. In the middle of the first century AD, the lands of Dover were settled by the Romans, who began the systematic development of the city as a Roman port. For these purposes, two lighthouses were erected at that time, one of which has survived to this day.
By 600 AD, when the power of the Roman Empire was completely lost, the city and fortifications were empty and began to fall into disrepair.
For more than four centuries, Dover continued an unremarkable, from a historical point of view, existence. Until the last Anglo-Saxon king of England, Harold II, liked this area, by whose order new fortifications of the castle were built within a week, and the church of St. Mary Castro, which has survived to this day, was built.
In the period from 1179 to 1188, Dover Castle was completely rebuilt by order of Henry II, the construction work was led by the architect Maurice. The reconstruction and reconstruction of the castle, carried out on a grand scale, cost the monarch £6,300, which at that time was equal to a whole annual income. However, the funds were not spent in vain, the castle, by the standards of that era, was really equipped in a royal way. There was running water and sewerage, each of the royal bedrooms was heated by its own fireplace, from floor to floor it was possible to get on two large spiral staircases. Within the walls of the castle there were two chapels, one of which was the personality of the king.
In its number and scale of towers, Dover Castle surpassed any English castle.
The architect with great skill was able to place as many as fourteen towers around the castle, two of which were intended to protect the gates of the palace, or as they were also called - the King's Gate.
Henry II did not manage to survive until the end of the construction work, and his sons continued his work - Richard (known as the Lionheart) and John the Landless (known as Prince John), who became one of the key characters in the legend of the valiant Robin Hood. Most of the building work was done during John's reign, as evidenced by government spending reports. Although the first years, John was indifferent to Dover Castle and remembered him only in 1204, when, as a result of hostilities, he lost most of his possessions on the continent. From Normandy, John moved to Dover and, on his orders, additional economic and defensive structures were erected inside the castle.
During the reign of Henry III, a fortress wall was erected around the castle, the church and the surviving Roman lighthouse. Later, when the strength of the fortress walls was jeopardized by the increased power of the cannons by that time, Henry VIII orders the fortification walls of Dover Castle to be strengthened. In the middle of the 17th century, a revolution broke out in England, Dover at that time was in the hands of the monarchists, but was soon captured by fraudulent supporters of a parliamentary republic, and without a single shot being fired. Thanks to this circumstance, the castle was not damaged and has been perfectly preserved to our time.
In the 18th century, during the Napoleonic Wars, the question of the location of soldiers, as well as weapons and provisions in the castle, was resolved in a very original way. They decided to place the soldiers' barracks under the castle, for which purpose special tunnels were cut out in the rocks, going as deep as 15 meters. In 1803, when the war with Napoleon reached its peak, there were more than two thousand soldiers in the tunnels.
At the end of the war, they began to be used less and less, and by 1826 they were completely abandoned. But it turned out that after a little more than a century, the tunnels will be used again. World War II turned the underground tunnels first into a bomb shelter and then into a hospital. In 1940, the underground tunnels became the headquarters of Admiral Ramsey, from which he managed the evacuation of British and French soldiers from Dunker.
