Dover Castle, Dover, Kent
This cutaway reconstruction drawing shows the entrance staircase to the Norman keep at the heart of the castle. Dover Castle probably originated as a motte and bailey castle, built after the Norman Conquest of 1066. It was transformed by King Henry II between 1179 and 1188; building the keep, the walls of the inner bailey and parts of the outer curtain wall. During the 15th century the castle was an administrative centre for the Cinque Ports. By the 17th century Dover Castle had fallen into ruin. Its small royal garrison was captured at the start of the Civil War and it was used from the 1680s to 1749 to hold French prisoners of war. However, from 1740 its decline was reversed. Defences were strengthened and barracks built. The most important changes took place during the Napoleonic Wars, between 1793 and 1815. From the 1850s the castle was adapted to modern warfare. The castle was rearmed in the 1870s and was used during World War I and World War II.This property is now in the care of English Heritage (2010).
Location
Kent DoverPeriod
Medieval (Middle Ages) (1066 - 1484)Themes
