Exploring the White Cliffs of Dover

Those who are not familiar with the iconic white chalk cliffs of the historical town of Dover in Britain may remember it from the war movie Dunkirk. For centuries these cliffs have been standing tall as the gateway of UK, welcoming or bidding farewell to travelers crossing the English Channel. The spectacular beauty along the coastline, the majestic castle of Dover and the charming little British towns of Dover are the perfect reasons for any history lover or nature seeker to plan a trip to Dover for a couple of days, preferably by road.

Dover town is the main ferry port in Kent on the South-east side of England and is strategically located across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of English channel. The white cliffs of Dover are the closest to France, just about 21 miles away and on a clear day, you can see the French coast. Infact, a boat ride from Dover to the other side takes just about 90 minutes and is a great option for a day trip to France.

I discovered the white cliffs of Dover in a black and white WWII documentary but they still stood out to me. And the more I read about these structures and the Dover castle, the more fascinated I grew. Unlike the usual rocky cliffs that we generally see, these cliffs are made of limestone and the white radiance stands out against the blue of the water and the green meadows on top. Even though the best view of the magnanimity of the cliffs is from the sea, a walk along the cliffside will give you a spectacular view of the cliffs and the clifftop grasslands overlooking the blue.

Where to Begin

Parking address: The White Cliffs of Dover National Trust visitor center, Langdon Cliffs, Upper Rd, Guston, Dover CT16 1HJ

From the parking, there are trails towards the cliff that you can follow to reach the top. But we took the road beyond the parking and realized that you can drive by the cliff but the view isn’t that great. Soon, we found an opening that had a few cars parked and through a small gate, we walked a short path to meet the main cliffside path. This helped us cut short the hiking time by almost 45 minutes. Since we wanted to save more time to explore the secrets of Dover Castle, we didn’t mind taking a small short cut. As we approached the cliff, we could see the Dover port on one side, the castle on the other and the lighthouse ahead.

The cliffside road is mainly unguarded and I could see many who were sitting by the edge or peeping down the cliffs. If traveling with young kids, please be careful as the cliffside erodes and gives way sometimes. Even though it is very tempting to wander off to the edge to find a peaceful spot or for the best optics for that perfect picture, please restrain.

The Lighthouse – South Foreland Lighthouse

Most people trek until the Victorian lighthouse also known South Foreland Lighthouse however the path leads further ahead. The lighthouse has some fascinating history and many stories are unraveled during the guided tours that National Trust conducts. Interestingly, the lighthouse was looked after by five successive generations of the Knott family, making the Knotts probably the longest serving family of keepers in lighthouse history. The cafe next to the lighthouse is dedicated to Mrs Catherine Knott, wife of the famous Lighthouse Keeper George Knott and is called Mrs Knott’s Tearoom and serves tea in vintage teacups.

It cannot be debated that the South Foreland Lighthouse has witnessed centuries of important historical events taking place around it. But many forget that it made its mark in the history of lighthouses, by being the first lighthouse to shine with an electric lamp, designed by Faraday.