Things to do in Dover
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Dover Castle
The almost impenetrable Dover Castle, one of the most impressive in England, was built to bolster the country's weakest point at this, the shortest sea-crossing to mainland Europe. It sprawls across the city's hilltop, commanding a tremendous view of the English Channel as far as the French coastline.
The site has been in use for as many as 2000 years. On the vast grounds are the remains of a Roman lighthouse, which date from AD 50 and may be the oldest standing building in Britain. Beside it lies a restored Saxon church.
The robust 12th-century Great Tower, with walls up to 7m thick, is filled with interactive exhibits and light-and-sound shows that take visitors back to t…
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Roman Painted House
A crumbling 1960s bunker is the unlikely setting for some of the most extensive, if stunted, Roman wall paintings north of the Alps. Several scenes depict Bacchus (the god of wine and revelry), which makes perfect sense as this large villa was built around AD 200 as a mansio (hotel) for travellers in need of a little lubrication to unwind.
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Dover Museum
By far the most enthralling exhibit in the town's three-storey museum is an astonishing 3600-year-old Bronze Age boat, discovered here in 1992. Vaunted as the world's oldest-known seagoing vessel, it measures a thumping great 9.5m by 2.4m and is kept in a huge, low-lit, climate- controlled glass box.
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Blake's of Dover
This snug but stylish English restaurant has an intimate cellar bar with fine wines, malt whiskies and microbrewed ales, or you can stay above ground for the sophisticated wood-panelled restaurant, serving locally caught fish dishes on candlelit tables.
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Dino's
Over a hundred bottles hang from the ceiling - their corks forming an arch and decorating the front desk - of this wonderfully authentic family-run Italian restaurant. What it lacks in natural light, it makes up for with delicious freshly made pasta.
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Grand Shaft
The easily dizzied may prefer to avoid the Grand Shaft, a unique 43m triple staircase cut into the chalky white cliffs as a short cut for troops during the Napoleonic Wars. Call the tourist office before arriving as it doesn't open every year.
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Green Room
When only a comfy couch and a strong dose of caffeine will do, this funky coffee shop offers both in abundance. Contemporary design and a mellow modern soundtrack preserve the serene atmosphere even when busy, which it almost always is.
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La Salle Verte
Much-loved coffee or lunch halt with fascinating black and white images of old Dover lining the walls, a rockin' jukebox and friendly proprietors. Fills at lunch even on winter Wednesdays.
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Allotment
Dover's best dining spot plates up local fish and meat from around Canterbury, seasoned with herbs from the tranquil garden out back, in a relaxed, understated setting. Swab the decks with a Kentish wine as you admire the view of the Maison Dieu directly opposite through the exquisite stained glass frontage.
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