Dover, England
- At November 05, 2023
- By Jessica
- In Travel
0
Chalk, the same stuff teachers used to use on blackboards (before there were "smart boards"), is what makes the Dover cliffs white. It seems the smarter the boards get, the dumber the pupils become.
There are still tunnels underneath the cliffs from when Napoleon invaded England.
A visit to nearby Canterbury was such a lovely surprise.
It's like Nantucket but the original. (Think Disneyland vs. Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria.) It is famous for The Canterbury Tales and many buildings, pubs, and inns are named for Chaucer's stories.
Canterbury was founded by the Romans over 2000 years ago. They built a light house, city wall, and Amphitheater. They pushed North to found the Roman capital of England - Londonium.
The Archbishop Thomas Beckett was murdered in Canterbury cathedral in 1170. Henry II thought he had too much independence. Beckett became a martyr and Canterbury became the
Mecca of England. It still gets over 100,000 pilgrims per year.
Christopher Marlowe, who it is said to have co-authored Henry V with Shakespeare, was a native of Canterbury. He perished in a pub fight at the age of 29.
Also in Canterbury we saw St. Augustine's Abbey, founded in 597. The Pope sent Augustine to rechristianize England. St. Martin's church is where Bertha, the wife of King Ethelred, is said to have worshipped. If you haven't watched The Last Kingdom, it's a terrific series about the founding of England.
After Canterbury, we visited Walmer Castle, where past wardens of the Cinque Ports lived. It was built in the 16th century as a fortress by Henry VIII.
The Warden is a ceremonial position. A few of the illustrious past wardens were the Duke of Wellington, William Pitt, and the Queen Mother. Currently, the post is vacant.
The most interesting part of the castle were the creatively sculpted ancient Yew hedges.
We passed through the Village of Deal on the North Sea with its picturesque beach huts.
Then we passed through The Hamlet of Ham on the way to the Town of Sandwich. Seriously! Lettuce entertain you some more....
FUN FACT: Famous founding father and author of Common Sense, Thomas Paine, came from Sandwich.
