Castles and forts in Dover

Castles and Fortifications

Dover’s strategic position on the English Channel has left a legacy of defensive architecture spanning nearly two millennia. This collection features Dover Castle, home to a medieval Great Tower and one of the world's best-preserved Roman lighthouses. It includes the 2nd-century Roman Painted House, containing unique wall paintings, and the 12th-century ruins of a Knights Templar round church. Victorian-era military engineering is represented by the massive fortifications of Fort Burgoyne and the Drop Redoubt on the Western Heights.

Castles and Fortifications — Map

O1ive / CC-BY-SA-3.0

A

Dover Castle

Dover Castle is a medieval castle in Dover, Kent, England and is Grade I listed.

Thryduulf / CC BY-SA 4.0

B

Roman Pharos

Dover Castle is a medieval castle in Dover, Kent, England and is Grade I listed.

Stephen McKay / CC BY-SA 2.0

C

Roman Painted House

A 2nd-century Roman town house featuring remarkably preserved wall paintings and an intact hypocaust underfloor heating system. It originally functioned as a hostel for officials crossing the English Channel.

Gabirro / Public domain

D

Knights Templar Church

Foundations of a 12th-century round church located on the Western Heights. The circular layout is characteristic of the Knights Templar, modeled after the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.

JP0113 / CC BY-SA 4.0

E

Fort Burgoyne Western Redoubt

Fort Burgoyne, originally known as Castle Hill Fort, was built in the 1860s as one of the Palmerston forts around Dover in southeast…

F

Drop Redoubt Fort

A 19th-century artillery fort constructed during the Napoleonic Wars. Part of the Western Heights defense system, it features deep dry ditches and casemated barracks.

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