Dover Castle — The Key to England
Make no mistake, Dover Castle is old, it’s large, and its history is significant.
To provide you with a little background, the castle’s location has lent itself to fortification since possibly as far back as the Iron Age. Certainly before the Romans graced Britain’s shores. Unusual earthworks patterns suggest the existence of some sort of structure that would pre-date medieval castle designs. The site also held one of Dover’s eighty foot Roman lighthouses. And to cap off its pre-castle provenance, the area also shows evidence of a Norman campsite, created most probably during and after their conquest.
Post 1066
Regardless of what had been there before, however, there was certainly a fort in place by the time William the Conqueror made his mark. He was aware of Dover’s Cinque Port status. And though the fort was believed to be impregnable and defended by a large force, William set his sights on it very early in his campaign.
He won via a baptism of fire, and the structure was soon enveloped in flames. However, perhaps due to its strategic importance, he then rebuilt it. A new motte and bailey castle ruled the roost within a short time and, such was its importance, William appointed eight knights to guard it. It’s at this point that the ‘modern’ history…
