At last! I have seen with my own eyes the magnificence of the infamous white cliffs, as sung about in the lyrics of the song, “The White Cliffs of Dover.”
I also have a better idea of what Rhys Bowen described when she wrote about the area in one of her Royal Spyness books. (I love those books!)
In addition to the breathtaking cliffs, we had an amazing experience trekking through Dover Castle. Our oldest son, Nathaniel, has been obsessed with our family genealogies for the past five years, and in his research discovered that Alain de Buckland is one of my mom’s ancestors who served as High Sheriff and lived in Dover Castle in 1067 AD.
Above is the Throne Room in Dover Castle, and there’s my husband hamming it up as King Rob with our two oldest children on each side of him. My son says he would have happily lived in that castle. My daughter says she would rather be a peasant than a noble. I suppose I would have been the one painting the portrait, since there weren’t cameras or iPhones to shoot photos back then.
Pictured above is the oldest structure at Dover Castle, the Roman Lighthouse. This is about 2000 years old, and it would have guided the Roman fleets into the harbor.
There were so many eras of history to explore, and I would like to return one day to spend more time exploring the many tunnels, and listening to the recordings of people who lived during World War II.
The views looking out over the English Channel are breathtaking, the castle is a must-see, the charming town of Dover is easy to walk and offers some great little spots for fish & chips, and tea & scones. My son loved to find my mom’s maiden name practically on every corner!
I hope to return to this wonderful seaside town and to spend more time walking the beaches next to the great white cliffs, and exploring more of the castle.