Dover Castle is one of the largest castles in England, and one of the few places in the country where a nine-hundred-year-old medieval keep and a Second World War command centre sit on the same site. Henry II’s Great Tower, the tunnels used to direct the Dunkirk evacuation, and the White Cliffs themselves are all part of the same visit, run today by English Heritage.
It also connects to the Canterbury Cathedral story just up the road. Henry built the Great Tower a decade after his knights murdered Thomas Becket, and a chapel dedicated to Becket still stands inside it today, if you’ve read our cathedral guide, this is the other half of that story.
Dover Castle is about fifteen minutes from Broome Park.
A Fortress a Thousand Years in the Making
The site has been fortified since the Iron Age. A Roman lighthouse (the most complete standing Roman building in England), still stands within the castle grounds and is one of only a handful of Roman lighthouses left standing anywhere in the world. Henry II built the Great Tower between 1179 and 1189, and the castle was extended and refortified over the centuries that followed. It withstood sieges in 1216 and 1265, the second defended by Eleanor de Montfort.
The Secret Wartime Tunnels
The tunnels beneath the castle date back to the medieval sieges, and were expanded into underground barracks during the Napoleonic Wars. In 1940, Vice Admiral Bertram Ramsay directed Operation Dynamo, the evacuation of Dunkirk, from a command post inside them, helping bring Allied troops back from northern France. The tunnels were later used as an emergency government bunker during the Cuban Missile Crisis, before being decommissioned in the 1980s.
What to See
The Great Tower has been dressed to recreate Henry II’s court, including the king’s bedroom and Becket’s chapel. The Secret Wartime Tunnels run as a guided experience, and the underground hospital nearby can be explored at your own pace. The battlements give views over the Channel towards France and the White Cliffs themselves.
Before You Go
Dover Castle is mostly an outdoor and underground site, so bring a coat regardless of season, as the tunnels stay cool year-round. Opening hours are reduced over winter, so it’s worth checking English Heritage’s website before you travel. The Great Tower and the tunnels both take time, so it’s worth allowing the best part of a day to see both properly.
Getting There from Broome Park
Dover Castle is about fifteen minutes from Broome Park, slightly closer than Canterbury itself. There’s a pay car park on site.
Given how closely the two stories are tied together, Dover Castle and Canterbury Cathedral make a natural pair for a single day, with plenty of daylight left for both if you make an early start.
FAQs
Why did Henry II build Dover Castle?
Dover Castle’s Great Tower was built by Henry II in the 1180s, officially for defence, though English Heritage’s research suggests it was also intended to help restore his reputation after his knights murdered Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral in 1170.
What happened at Dover Castle during the Second World War?
The tunnels beneath Dover Castle served as the command centre for Operation Dynamo in 1940, the evacuation of over 338,000 Allied troops from Dunkirk, directed by Vice Admiral Bertram Ramsay.
How far is Dover Castle from Broome Park?
Dover Castle is around fifteen minutes by car from Broome Park.
Is Dover Castle the largest castle in England?
Dover Castle is generally described as one of the largest castles in England, and remained a military site into the 20th century.
