Thanet & Dover

The A28 leads northeast to the Isle of Thanet and the seaside resorts of Margate, BroadstairsThanet/Dover, England travel arrangements, romantic Thanet/Dover honeymoons, Thanet/Dover travel packages and Ramsgate. The A256 runs south from here, passing Richborough Castle, the ruins of the Roman fort known as Rutupiae, which played a major part in the Roman invasion of 43 AD, and was later expanded with a triple defense wall and a triumphal arch.

The Romans were at Dover too, and their lighthouse, or pharos (1st century), still stands today on Castle Hill. Also worth seeing is the Roman Painted House (2nd century) with its wall frescoes. The mighty fortress of Dover Castle was started under Henry II towards the end of the 12th century and extended during the 13th – 14th centuries. It was one of the last tower fortresses in western Europe. It was used again during the World War II, and there are guided tours of the secret military tunnels at Hellfire Corner which date back to the 13th century The town’s newest attraction, the White Cliffs Experience, incorporates the remains of the Classis Britannica, the headquarters of the Roman fleet in Britain. Through vivid high-tech displays, it tells the story of Dover from the Roman invasion until 1945. Dover remains one of the most important ferry terminals of Britain, but it is now in tierce competition with the recently-completed Channel Tunnel. At Cheriton, a suburb of Folkestone, the Eurotunnel Exhibition Centre includes models of the tunnel and terminals and a full-size shuttle.

In the well-loved Victorian resort of Folkestone, picturesque High Street entices you into the old town with its church of St. Mary and St. Eanswyth before you continue along the A259 coast road to the harbor town of Hythe. A highlight here is the Royal Military Canal, cut in 1804 during the Napoleonic Wars, today a favorite destination for sailors and anglers.