The Saxon Shore Way, Dover to Deal (04/11)

 This section of the Saxon Shore Way is 10.2 miles long. It is very picturesque with magnificent coastal scenery & has much of interest along the way. The first half of the walk is over the cliffs between Dover & Kingsdown & is fairly hilly & rugged but after that the terrain is flat & offers easy walking along a very pleasant segregated foot/cycle path all of the way to Deal. The route is easy to navigate as it simply follows the coastline northwards & waymarking is very good virtually the whole way. The only area that may present difficulties is where the path threads its way through the settlement at St. Margaret-at-Cliffe.

Dover Castle

Dover Castle, ‘the Lock and Key of England’, dates from the twelfth century & is situated on a hill dominating the town & surrounding countryside. Owing to its strategic location at the narrowest crossing point to continental Europe, Dover has a long & interesting history. As ‘Portus Dubris’ it was an important Roman settlement & one of the Saxon Shore forts was built here to help protect the Kentish coast from Saxon & Frankish raiders. Traces of neither this nor the Roman harbour exist today. The only surviving structure from this period is the shell of a Roman pharos lighthouse. During the Middle Ages Dover was regarded as head of the Cinque Ports and the town & surrounding area are dotted with the remains of defensive fortifications built during previous eras.

Dover Harbour.

Dover is one of the busiest passenger ferry terminals in the world, the busiest cruise liner terminal in the UK & a major port for freight, especially fruit.

Impressive cliff scenery near Fan Bay.

These are the famous ‘White cliffs of Dover’.

Cross Channel ferries

The French coast is only 21 miles from Dover & is clearly visible. The narrowest point is a little further north at St. Margaret-at-Cliffe where it is only 18 miles to France.

South Foreland Lighthouse.

A Victorian lighthouse built in 1843 to warn shipping of the Goodwin Sands which lie just offshore. It was the first lighthouse to use an electric light & the location of the first international wireless transmission by Marconi in 1895. It ceased operations as a lighthouse in 1988 & is now owned by the National Trust.

St. Margaret-at-Cliffe

A large picturesque village set among the cliffs at South Foreland. At 18miles it is the closest point to France.

St. Margaret-at-Cliffe

Monument to the Dover Patrol, Leathercoat Point, St. Margaret-at-Cliffe.

Designed by Sir Aston Webb & erected in 1921 to commemorate the vital role played by the elite fleet of the Royal Navy known as the ‘Dover Patrol’ in protecting allied shipping in the English Channel during World War I.

Bockhill. A beautiful area of farmland on the cliff-top just north of St Margaret-at-Cliffe & now owned by the National Trust. It is a renowned location for observing the coastal migration of birds with over 240 different species having been recorded in the immediate vicinity. Many interesting & unusual species of moths, butterflies, dragonflies & other insects have also been found here.

The view looking north from Bockhill towards Kingsdown, Walmer & Deal.

Walmer Castle at dusk.

The official seat of the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. It is one of the 3 castles erected by Henry VIII in 1539 to protect the strategic naval anchorage known as the ‘Downs’ which lies just offshore here.

Deal Castle: another of the castles built by Henry VIII to protect the 'Downs'.