Weekend in Dover

We took our first weekend getaway this week and went to the Dover area of Kent. Along the coast line within very few miles of each other there are three impressive castles and we spent all of Saturday exploring them. We started our day at Dover castle, the largest and truthfully most interesting of the three.Parts of Dover castle were originally built in 1066 and the castle was garrisoned uninterruptedly until 1958. Part of the castles early history involved secret underground tunnels that were dug during the Napoleonic age and played an important role in WWII. A rescue operation called Operation Dynamo was run from these tunnels where some 380000 soldiers were rescued from Dunkirk and brought back to the castle. You can in fact tour the tunnels and experience an interactive telling of this mission that is very moving, however the taking of photos while underground is not allowed. I wish I could have captured on film for you the experience of our journey through the underground. The noise, smell, and dankness of the tunnels added to the feeling of closeness to the many thousands of young men who walked those halls and experienced a life most of us will hopefully never have to. Etched into the stone walls throughout the tunnels were the names of those who helped dig it out and some of those that served later in the already dug caverns, it took great self control not to place my hands on all the names and say out loud that they are not forgotten.

Th the heart of the castle stand the Great Tower, built between 1180 and 1185 it was home to King Henry II. Most of you will know that as a king he was impressive but as a man he left a little to be desired and touring through the tower you learn all about his tumultuous life. Obviously confused about who he was I heard one small child say to his mum after learning some new fact about him, " He doesn't sound like the Robin Hood I know". He certainly does not! Interesting for those who have seen it, this is where 'The Other Boleyn Girl' was filmed so there is a certain level of authenticity to that movie.

As you walk around the expansive grounds there is an extra challenge to guess what years the various buildings would have been constructed in. Some obviously bearing a strong Roman influence while others have an almost modern feel being built as late as 1913. Having spent many of its later years as a military structure you can definitely see the impression that its various commanding officers left on it, as a military man himself I was struck over and over how much my dad would have gotten from the area that I undoubtedly overlooked.

Okay, I am going to prove my girlishness and say that the next stop on our tour, Walmer Castle was the prettiest we've been to yet. Most castles are dark and dank and make you wonder how uncomfortable they would have been to live in but with its relatively modern fittings and its beautiful gardens I could see the appeal of taking up abode.Not surprising as Her Majesty, the Queen Mother made regular visits to the castle and had her own garden built on the grounds presented to her on her 95th birthday. 

I got some artistic shots of foliage on the ground that I won't subject you to but will tell you that when they build a garden for the Queen they don't mess around. It housed some of the most spectacular array of flowers and greenery I have seen in a long time. And anyone who has visited either my mothers or my mother in laws gardens knows that is saying something! Inside the house you can tour many of the rooms that the Queen would have frequented during her stay and as someone who studied furniture and house design I often paused to see how our modern designers were influenced by these early craftsmen.

In the same way I wished for my dad at Dover I couldn't help feeling like my mum and mother in law were at Walmer to walk the grounds and tell me the names of the different flowers. Despite having two amazing gardeners in my life it somehow passed right by me and I would have liked their guidance.

We ended our day at Deal Castle which as it was the least impressive of the three it was a somewhat deflating way to end our adventure. This particular castle was a good reminder that living in these stone fortresses would have been uncomfortable, cold and quite frankly smelly. This small castle had none of the comforts that the other castles had been fitted with and it was by far the coldest of them, which would probably have been a delightful feature in the summer months but would have made even mild winters long and  intolerable. However the view was nice and you could see why a person might chose to settle in the area.