Dover Castle is a castle on the White Cliffs overlooking the English Channel at Dover in Kent, where the sea crossing to France is shortest, and for centuries it was called the Key to England. Its great keep was built by Henry II in the 1180s as a state-of-the-art fortress, and the castle was extended in the 13th century with concentric defenses. It withstood a French siege in 1216 under Hubert de Burgh. During the Napoleonic Wars tunnels were dug beneath it for barracks, and in the Second World War they were reused as the secret command center from which Vice Admiral Bertram Ramsay directed the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940. It is now managed by English Heritage and open to visitors.
Before and after
- 1170Birth of Fibonacci
- from 1171 to 1341Ayyubid dynasty
- 1177Construction of pont Saint-Bénézet
- 1178Construction of Veliky Ustyug
- 1179Origins of Dover Castle
- from 23 August 1179 to 30 August 1179Battle of Jacob's Ford
- from 1180 to 1185Genpei War
- 24 June 1182Birth of Francis of Assisi
- from 30 September 1183 to 6 October 1183Battle of Al-Fule
More in Civilizations & archaeology
- 691 CEConstruction of Dome of the Rock
- 8th centuryConstruction of Borobudur Temple
- 1066Construction of Tower of London
- from 1206 to 1368Mongol Empire
- 1239Construction of Alhambra
- 1473Construction of Sistine Chapel
The era
This moment belongs to the Medieval world (500 CE to 1500 CE), kingdoms, faiths and trade routes. You can also browse everything in the 12th century.