Getting to Dover by Train
To visit Dover Castle, get a taxi from Dover Priory station
Trains depart from London Waterloo East to Dover Priory
every half hour (on the hour and half past).
Journey time is around one and a half to two hours.
Related things to see in London
Tower of London
The Tower of London is one of the greatest examples of Norman architecture anywhere in the world.
You may be visiting London to see its many tourist attractions but if you have a spare day or two while here, why not do some sightseeing in England.
This section includes some free self-guided sightseeing tours of England that can be easily done in a day from London. All you need is your train fare.
From the seaside to the countryside, lots of places are easy to visit on a day tour from London. Or you could extend your tour and book a hotel for overnight using EasyToBook.com. They offer a wide range of hotels throughout England. If you are looking for something to play on your journey, perhaps you could try this mobile bingo site.
Things to See in Dover
Dover is probably best known for two main attractions: its white cliffs and Dover Castle.But though many visitors probably only visit the castle and view the cliffs before returning to London, it is worth also exploring the town on foot to see its impressive harbour, many old pubs and historic Market Square.
Plus, there's a unique bronze age boat in Dover Museum and an outlet shopping centre on the seafront near several good restaurants.
And if you have your own transport, there are other castles in the area that
are also worth visiting.
Dover
Castle dates from the rebuilding work during Henry II's reign, but the
site has been of vital importance since the Iron Age.
The first castle was
probably an Anglo-Saxon fortress and, on the arrival of William the Conqueror,
the existing fortifications were improved with the building of an earthwork
castle.
Work began on the castle in the latter part of the 12th century with the
construction of the Keep (or Great Tower) - the largest in Britain.
place map and aerial view
Hidden deep inside the famous White Cliffs and under Dover Castle are
a vast network of underground
tunnels, first constructed in the Middle Ages.
During the Napoleonic
Wars, these tunnels were greatly extended to provide barracks for the
great numbers of soldiers called to Dover to prepare for invasion from
the French.
This massive underground complex also played an important role in the
Second World War, being used as the nerve centre for planning the evacuation
of troops from France.
After the war, the tunnels were prepared for possible
use as a regional government centre in the event of a nuclear attack on
London.
The tunnels were only opened to the public in the 1990's.
The white cliffs are made from chalk, being the compressed shells of sea
creatures that were turned into sediment 80 million years ago.
They are
the first thing seen by visitors coming to Dover by sea, and are mentioned
by Shakespeare in King Lear.
However, most people probably associate the cliffs with the famous wartime
song by Vera Lynn, "Blue Birds over the White Cliffs of Dover".
place map and aerial view