Dover Castle. Postcard in the collection of Simon Cooke, 1889. Being situated at the most convenient point for crossing by sea to another country has its disadvantages. Dover was long felt to be vulnerable to incursions, and the present castle was begun by Henry II in the 1180s, on what was then (according to English Heritage) "the most advanced castle design in Europe." Standing proud on Castle Hill, with a great square keep, "massive angled towers and great buttresses" (Cormack 40), it served both as a royal residence and a bastion against attack, and would long continue to fulfil the latter role: "over the next 800 years its buildings, defences and tunnels were adapted to meet the changing demands of warfare, right into the era of nuclear weapons" ("History of Dover Castle").
The most important developments in Victorian times included the strengthening of the inner bailey and great tower in 1853, and the addition of the Officers' New Barracks (designed by Anthony Salvin) in 1856, the Regimental Institute (1868) and the Garrison School (1870). The cliff edge defences were also considerably improved, with gun emplacements guarding against the possibility of warship bombardments. These later additions may have detracted from the bold simplicity of the original cube-like scheme, but Dover Castle is still the most impressive among the many such structures built along the south coast facing the channel. The whole complex, with its Roman lighthouse and Saxon church (St Mary in Castro), as well as its later history, is now a popular tourist attraction. — Jacqueline Banerjee
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Bibliography
Cormack, Patrick. Castles of Britain. London: Artus, 1995.
History of Dover Castle." English Heritage. Web. 31 July 2023.
Statham, Samuel Percy Hammond. The History of the Castle, Town and Port of Dover. London: Longmans, Green and Co, 1899. Internet Archive online version of a copy in the New York Public Library. Web. 31 July 2023.
Created 31 July 2023