Dover

Shortened history of the castle:

Originally the site may have been fortified with earthworks in the Iron Age or earlier, before the Romans invaded in 43 AD.

After the Battle of Hastings in October 1066, William the Conqueror and his forces marched to Westminster Abbey for his coronation. Then he marched to Dover, which had been reported impregnable and held by a large force. But the English, probably afraid of William's army, surrendered without conditions. The Castle was first built, entirely out of clay. It collapsed to the ground and the clay was then used as the flooring for many of the ground-floor rooms.

It was during the reign of Henry II that the castle began to take recognisable shape.

By the Tudor age, the defences themselves had been superseded by gunpowder. They were improved by Henry VIII, who made a personal visit, and added to with the Moat Bulwark.

Opening times and additional information:

Open all year except December 24 -26 and January 1st.
Closed Tues/Wed from November to February
Summer opening times 10am -6pm
Winter opening times 10am- 4pm

Ticket Prices
Adult - £10.30
Child - £5.20
Concession - £8.20
Family - £25.80