White Cliffs of Dover Guide

The White Cliffs of Dover

The iconic White Cliffs of Dover push down from Kingsdown south along St Margaret's Bay to Dover for 8 miles. From Dover they push on for another 8 miles to Folkestone. Commonly known as the South Foreland stretch of coast, the white chalk cliffs of Dover are mirrored 21 miles across the English Channel by the Cap Blanc Nez white cliffs just near Calais. Just a mere 10,000 years ago the two coasts were joined.

The chalky white cliffs push up to 300 feet in places and are continuously eroding. You're recommended to stay at least 5 metres away from the cliff edge at all times. Extra care is needed with children when walking the cliff top and dogs are best kept on leads. The precious chalk Downland on top of the cliffs boasts numerous plants which have adapted well to the thin chalk soils and which predate the last ice age. Free leaflets and an exhibit on the White Cliffs are at the National Trust's Gateway to the White Cliffs Centre.

This stunning stretch of the English coast, including the South Foreland White Cliffs and Dover to Folkestone cliff stretch, is one of the country's heritage coasts, protected and a designated area of outstanding beauty. The Seven Sisters White Chalk Cliffs on the Sussex coast and the Purbeck Dorset White Cliffs are other White Chalk Cliff Heritage coasts.

Spectacular as the Seven Sisters and the Purbeck coast are, the White Cliffs of Dover are internationally known and renowned, enshrined into British consciousness largely due to their strategic role during wartime in the 20th century. Vera Lynn's epic wartime uplifter 'The White Cliffs of Dover' firmly cemented the cliff's iconic status. Stretches of the Dover White Chalk cliffs without protective sea defences are subject to erosion of around 0.5 metres (18 inches) annually.

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White Cliffs National Trust Visitor Centre

The National Trust cares for around 6 miles of the Dover Cliffs around the Langdon Cliff Stretch. Here sits the Trust's visitor centre, a good starting point for spectacular cliff walking and cross Channel views (on a clear day France comes into view as does the busy cross-channel shipping). White Cliffs Trails run all the way from Dover upto Sandwich (pick up walking leaflets in the National Trust Visitor Centre or Dover Tourist Information Centre, or download the walking leaflets via the White Cliffs Countryside Project weblink right. A choice of guided walks along the White Cliffs and inland around Dover are available too via the White Cliffs Countryside Project webguide). Both bus and boat tours departing from Dover Marina also take in the Dover Cliffs, with boat trips offering a particularly spectacular view of the White Chalk Cliffs from the water.

Walking south of Dover along the Dover to Folkestone stretch is equally spectacular, and there's one feature along this coast that wasn't there when Charles Dickens enjoyed his walking along the cliffs from Dover to Folkstone and that's the Samphire Hoe which jutts out into the sea and was constructed from around five million cubic metres of Chalk Marl produced from the construction of the Channel Tunnel. Wildlife and fauna continues to flourish on this fascinating manmade creation. A car park is situated nearby. Another interesting fact about the Samphire Hoe area is that its the site of the original Shakespeare Cliff Colliery. Coal was discovered here during an early Channel Tunnel attempt in the 1880s.

Langdon Cliffs Gateway to the White Cliffs National Trust Visitor Centre, Upper Road, Dover, Kent CT16 1HJ. Tel. 01304 202756. Dover White Cliffs Boat Tours, The Clock Tower, Dover Marina, Western Docks, Dover, Kent. Tel. 01303 271388.

Boat trips run from Easter to June, weekend only in the 'Southern Queen' 70 seater passenger boat. The boat trip lasts around 40 minutes and covers a 5km stretch of the cliffs. Hop aboard the Dover Rover White Cliffs bus tour as well, taking in a chunk of the Dover cliffs as well as the castle. The bus tour lasts around 45 minutes and on both the boat and bus tour you're accompanied with informative commentary. Both these options are a superb way to see the cliffs for visitors with mobility difficulties. Check the Dover Rover Tours webguide right for more details.

The Victorian South Foreland Lighthouse on St Margaret's Bay is open to the public along the coast. Climb the staircase within for spectacular cross-channel views. For more information see the National Trust webguide right. South Foreland Lighthouse, The Front, St Margaret's Bay, Dover, Kent CT15 6HP. Tel. 01304 852463

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Dover Countryside, East Kent Railway & Mining Trails

There's some hidden gems in Kent and one such hidden gem is the stunning Kent countryside inland from Dover and Deal. The area is crammed with historic coalfield parishes such as Tilmanstone, Ash, Aylesham, Chillenden, Eastry, Eythorne-with-Elvington, Goodnestone, Nonington, Northbourne, Shepherdswell-with-Coldred, Staple and Wingham. Once coal had been discovered from initial diggings of an early Channel Tunnel attempt at Samphire Hoe numerous Kent collieries sprang up in the area, with many failing but main collieries Snowdown, Tilmanstone, Betteshanger and Chislet surviving. Some of these remained in operation right up until the late 1980s. Betteshanger Colliery, the largest of the Kent mines, now within the Fowlmead Country Park near Deal, closed as late as 1989.

The coal mining heritage in this unique area of south east Kent north of Dover is receiving much new attention with the launch of the Kent Coalfields Heritage Initiative (webguide right) and the opening of the Miner's Trail alongside the East Kent Railway. This was originally the White Cliffs Colliery line constructed between 1911 and 1917 to serve the Kent mines in the area. Today historic rail trips are open to the public on the East Kent line from Shepherdswell to Eythorne (4 miles). Special themed trains run throughout the year including the Easter Bunnies over Easter, the 1940s Reinactment over the Summer and the Santa Special at Christmas. For details, fares and timetable see the East Kent Railway's webguide. Shepherdswell Station has been preserved to retain its nostalgic atmosphere. The East Kent Railway Trust, Station Road, Shepherdswell, Dover, Kent, CT15 7PD. Tel. 01304 - 832042. Pre-booking special events tel. 01634 856228.

Kent coal was some of the hardest coal to extract in the country, and the industry always seemed on the brink of failure. Many Kent mines did fail. Working conditions in the Kent mines were also some of the worst in the country, with mines subject to flooding and high miner death rates in the area. Most miners came from other mining areas after coal was initially discovered in this area of Kent - from Yorkshire, Wales and elsewhere. Some came after being blacklisted after the 1926 General Strike.

One of the best ways to explore Kent's coal mining heritage in the area is to walk or cycle the Miner's Way Trail which links many of the mining parishes in the area together. The Miner's Way runs for 28 miles in total, and you can see maps of this fascinating trail and find information via the Kent Coalfields Heritage Initiative and the White Cliffs Countryside Project websites linked right.

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