A Walk Around Dover

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 first day.

---

Dover, England (September 6, 2019) Debra and I “survived” our red-eye flight from Phoenix to London (a two-hour delay on the runway at Sky Harbor and no sleep on the plane!) and taxi ride from Heathrow. We arrived in Dover midafternoon and checked into our hotel. Debra was ready to put her feet up for a while – at least until dinner. Me? I wanted to do a bit of sightseeing in Dover. Both of us did what we wanted - Debra made herself comfortable in a plush chair and with map in hand I went for a walk. 
​
I read an article about Dover in which the writer described the town this way: “Like many port towns, Dover can be a little scruffy, but has loads to keep you interested.” It was an apt description. 

I walked west from the hotel to the Port of Dover. It is the nearest port to the European continent and Europe’s busiest ferry port, and it is where our cruise ship will dock in a few days. I watched as trucks, cars, and people filled a ferry destined for Calais, France. A cliff rose behind where I stood, and I caught a glimpse of white, but I forced myself to turn away as Debra and I will visit the iconic White Cliffs of Dover tomorrow with our friends Andrew and John. 

I backtracked to town and walked along the A256 north to the aptly named Castle Hill Road. There, as I looked east, I had a great photo op of Dover Castle. The castle, which is the largest and one of the oldest in England, dates to the 11th century, the time of William the Conqueror. Before there was a Dover Castle, though, there was a Roman fort on this site, built in the first century after Rome invaded England. The castle served as headquarters for British troops in World War One and Two. 

In the opposite direction from where I stood, Castle Hill Road became Castle Street, which I followed to Church Street. Soon, I stood in front of the many-spired St. Mary’s, the parish church of Dover. The original church was built on the site of a Roman structure, and the present tower and western part of the nave date from the 11th century. 

I LOVE to visit churches and cathedrals when we travel, but unfortunately St. Peter’s was closed. However, I did make an interesting “discovery” as I walked the perimeter of the church - a cemetery with headstones dating to the early 1800s. I read several headstones, and one in particular (photo at right) caught my attention. It was a memorial to three gents (not certain if any of the three were buried beneath it), including Lieutenant James Hart of the 33rd Regiment who was killed at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815! 

I won’t say that I saw the best attractions in Dover this afternoon, but all in all I had an interesting and pleasant walk around the town. 

Debra and I had dinner at The White Horse, the town's oldest pub. The building that houses it, which dates to the 14th century, was originally home to the Verger (caretaker) to St. James Church, which was next door. The White Horse survived bombings in both World Wars. 

The pub had a wonderful atmosphere, with a mix of tourists and locals. Debra and I ordered steak and Guinness stew with mashed potatoes and steamed veggies. I “paired” my dinner with a Meantime lager. 

It was 30 hours since we awoke in Phoenix yesterday, and we were both dead tired. It was no wonder, then, that we quickly fell asleep!