In September 2019, Debra and I went on a 14-day cruise of the British Isles aboard the Pacific Princess, sailing round trip from Dover with 11 port stops along the way.
Ahead of the cruise, we spent three days seeing the sights in Dover and the county of Kent. Click HERE to read a short introduction to our fun-filled holiday.
This story, which is part of a series, is about our second day.
Ahead of the cruise, we spent three days seeing the sights in Dover and the county of Kent. Click HERE to read a short introduction to our fun-filled holiday.
This story, which is part of a series, is about our second day.
County of Kent, England (September 7, 2019) – Debra and I met Andrew and John in May 2016 on a cruise through the eastern Mediterranean aboard the Celebrity Equinox. We struck up a conversation at dinner one night – they were seated at the next table – and “something” clicked. In that moment, we made the transition from acquaintances to friends! Later in the cruise, Andrew and John joined us and our friend Oron for drinks and cake to celebrate our 42nd wedding anniversary.
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Andrew and John live in Oxford, about three hours (by car) northwest of Dover. They cleared their calendars to spend the day with us and took charge of the itinerary. We toured Kent from coast to coast. The route was a mere 83 miles, but the itinerary was filled with fun and interesting sights.
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After being up for 30 straight hours, Debra and I “slept like the dead” last night and woke up refreshed and ready to go. Well, we were ready to go after we ate a hearty breakfast! The Travelodge, where we stayed, had a great buffet – an excellent selection of cold- and hot-served food. We had a typical English breakfast – scrambled eggs with bacon, mushrooms, grilled tomatoes, and a “spot of tea” (hold the baked beans, please). We grabbed a table by the window where we gazed out on the medieval Dover Castle. We could not have had a more perfect start to our day!
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It was cool and gray, with rain in the morning forecast, when Andrew and John picked us up. We spent a few minutes catching up before they whisked us off to the first of many stops that they planned for the day.
The White Cliffs of Dover
The White Cliffs of Dover
“There’ll be bluebirds over
The white cliffs of Dover
Tomorrow, just you wait and see”
The white cliffs of Dover
Tomorrow, just you wait and see”
So sang Vera Lynn in the popular World War II song “The White Cliffs of Dover” – except there are no bluebirds in Dover, something that the American songwriters may not have known! More than 65 million years ago, when Great Britain (and much of Europe) were submerged below a vast sea, the remains of marine plants and animals combined with sea water to form chalk, which is white in color. The cliffs we saw today were once part of that seabed. Over millions of years, a portion of the seabed rose to create a 10-mile stretch of white cliffs that rose to a height of more than 300 feet in some areas. I took this panoramic photo as we sailed away at the start of our cruise.
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We followed a narrow, winding road a few miles from Dover to Langdon Cliffs, one section of the White Cliffs of Dover. We parked near the visitor center and followed an easy-to-navigate footpath to an observation point where we had a spectacular top-down view of the cliffs and coastline. There we saw the sheer chalk edge that made the White Cliffs of Dover an iconic landmark and symbol of Great Britain. Outstanding!
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(As an aside, had this been a clear day, we would have seen the French coastal town of Calais, which is 21 miles across the Strait of Dover.)
It started to drizzle as we made our way back to the visitor center. Up went our umbrellas, then down they came when we reached the café and gift shop. At a table near the window, we relaxed with coffee and scones as we gazed through a light rain at a speck-of-a-ship as it crossed the English Channel. It was a perfect moment!
We drove a short distance to St. Margaret’s Bay, where we had a great view of another section of the cliffs – this time from the bottom up.
As I stood on the beach, I gazed to one side and then the other, and realized that I had a wonderful panoramic shot of the cliffs at St. Margaret’s Bay to my left and Langdon Bay to my right.
Whether top down or bottom up, the White Cliffs of Dover were breathtaking!
On April 1 2016, The Express reported, “Britain's most ambitious DIY project starts today when the White Cliffs of Dover are given a fresh coat of paint." Get it? The dateline is April 1...April Fools' Day! They even ran this photo of a guy suspended along the cliffs with a paint roller in hand and two buckets of paint at his side. Too funny, right?!
Sandwich
Sandwich is one of the best-preserved medieval towns in England.
~ Sandwich’s Tourism Board
~ Sandwich’s Tourism Board
From St. Margaret’s Bay, we drove 14 miles north through the eastern region of Kent to the historic town of Sandwich (pop. 5,000), located along the River Stour. The towns name, which first appeared as Sondic in 851 and then as Sandwic in 993, means “market town on sandy soil.” I can’t attest to the nature of the soil, but I am certain that it was apropos at the time!
Andrew, who drove while John navigated, spotted a “car park” (known in the States as a “parking lot”) near the town center. We walked a short distance through an opening between two buildings. Past this opening, we felt as though we were teleported back 500+ years. In front of us was a quaint square surrounded by well-preserved buildings that were hundreds of years old.
Andrew, who drove while John navigated, spotted a “car park” (known in the States as a “parking lot”) near the town center. We walked a short distance through an opening between two buildings. Past this opening, we felt as though we were teleported back 500+ years. In front of us was a quaint square surrounded by well-preserved buildings that were hundreds of years old.
John Montagu (1718 – 1792), a British stateman who held various military and political offices, became the Fourth Earl of Sandwich in 1729 at the age of ten. Many people believe that he invented the “sandwich.” Not true, although he may have popularized this now ubiquitous food staple. According to one story, the Earl “asked for meat to be served between slices of bread to avoid interrupting a gambling game.” Soon, this story said, people started ordering “the same as Sandwich,” and then, “I’ll have a sandwich.” By the way, the first Montagu who was an earl nearly took the title of “Earl of Portsmouth.” Had he done so, we could well be eating a “portsmouth” rather than a “sandwich!” Be that as it may, it was no surprise to find The Sandwich Shop alongside the square.
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As we strolled along several of the streets in town, we passed The Old Drum, a former coaching house (an “inn”) that dated to 1450. The Old Drum is a good example of a “half-timbered” building, where the external walls were constructed of timber frames and the in-between spaces were filled with brick, plaster, or other materials.
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We stopped at St. Peter’s Church. Managed by the Churches Conservation Trust, a charity whose purpose is to protect “at risk” historic churches in England, St. Peter’s is no longer used for Christian worship. Constructed of stone and brick, St. Peter’s has stood on this site for 900 years. Its square bell tower, with a blocked arch at its base, was topped by a parapet. The interior was simple – a few archways atop columnar pedestals, a not-so-tall vaulted ceiling braced with timbers, a small organ, and ringed chandeliers. Yet, it was beautiful in its simplicity…and well worth a visit!
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Whitstable
From Sandwich we headed to the seaside town of Whitstable, which is located east of the Isle of Sheppey on the northern coast of Kent. We stopped for lunch at The Monument. First licensed in 1731, The Monument was one of Whitstable’s oldest surviving pubs. I had fish and chips, while everyone else had the steak special. Each meal was a very respectable 10 pounds! |
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Fortified with a hearty and delicious lunch (and a pint of beer!), we explored the independent shops along Harbour Street and High Street. We then made our way to the harbor, which was built in the early 1830s. There we strolled along the boardwalk and past the beach. We stopped to watch a fellow shuck oysters – Whitstable oysters, of course, fresh from the oyster beds in Whitstable Bay – for oyster gourmands to eat as they ambled along the boardwalk.
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The weather was beautiful – the cool, gray morning had morphed into a warm day under a mostly sunny sky. “Warm, but not hot,” Debra said. This was a real treat for us, as only a couple of days ago we were in the hot, dry clime of the desert we live in. And what joy for us, too, as we breathed fresh sea air and listened to the light slap of the ocean water as it lapped against the beach, the chirps and calls of the sea gulls and other birds, and the purr of the occasional boat motor. It was a near idyllic setting!
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We left the harbor and drove a short distance to Whitstable Castle. Now a venue for weddings and other events, Whitstable Castle was built near the end of the 18th century as the private residence for the Pearson family. There were beautiful gardens behind the castle – roses were in bloom – and a lawn bowling green on the grounds below the castle. We contented ourselves with a walk through the gardens and around the perimeter of the castle.
Herne Bay and Ramsgate
It was late afternoon, and time for the last leg of our tour, with two brief stops along the scenic coastline.
Herne Bay is a lovely seaside town - Victorian in style – on the northern coast, with a pebble beach and pier. On the pier – once one of the longest in the UK – was a bandstand, a few amusement rides, and food and merchandise stalls. Unfortunately, everything was close for the season.
Ramsgate, located on the eastern coast, faced the North Sea where it merged with the English Channel. We walked alongside the Royal Ramsgate Marina, which was 35 miles from the French coast. If I were a pirate, I would have captured a boat and sailed with my crew across the channel!
It was late afternoon, and time for the last leg of our tour, with two brief stops along the scenic coastline.
Herne Bay is a lovely seaside town - Victorian in style – on the northern coast, with a pebble beach and pier. On the pier – once one of the longest in the UK – was a bandstand, a few amusement rides, and food and merchandise stalls. Unfortunately, everything was close for the season.
Ramsgate, located on the eastern coast, faced the North Sea where it merged with the English Channel. We walked alongside the Royal Ramsgate Marina, which was 35 miles from the French coast. If I were a pirate, I would have captured a boat and sailed with my crew across the channel!
Full Circle
We reached Dover early evening – tired but with many wonderful memories of our day trip through Kent. Debra and I were delighted to spend the day with Andrew and John, two good souls who showed a couple of Yanks how to have a great time!
We reached Dover early evening – tired but with many wonderful memories of our day trip through Kent. Debra and I were delighted to spend the day with Andrew and John, two good souls who showed a couple of Yanks how to have a great time!