Finally - The Report on Dover & Canterbury!!
Dover
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The castle has a long history and has always been considered the gateway to England. The Angevin kings used it as their seat to control both their holdings in the British Isles as well as their vast lands in France. It retained its strategic importance into World War I and World War II. For WWI it was simply a strategic location that would have been a significant impediment to a land invasion. For World War II, however, it was to be the first line of defense against a presumed German land invasion which, fortunately, never came. Additionally, it was the planning location and Dover was the receiving point for Operation Dynamo, rescuing the expeditionary Allied force and others from the shores of Dunkirk. Being able to walk the tunnels where this happened and that were later converted to a regional control shelter to weather nuclear war, was quite the historical experience.
The keep's interior was presented to some extent as it would have been back in the days of the Angevin kings while the chapel was a bit more modernized to reflect its service as a place of worship for all the many garrisons. One of the great things about Dover Castle was that it was entirely accessible - pretty much everywhere was walkable, so I spent a great deal of time on the ramparts, in the keep, in the chapel, on the tour of the tunnels, and so on. It also made for beautiful, if rainy pictures. More on that rain shortly - it was a defining factor of my trip to Dover, as one might expect based on the place's reputation.
My next destination was, of course, the White Cliffs of Dover. Now I admit it would have been great to see these in the sunlight, radiantly white as the sun reflects off them with the coast of France clearly visible on the other side of the Channel. Still, I do think I caught just a little glimpse of France through the mist and, in a way, I felt like maybe it was more accurate to see them as I did, since that's the most common weather and also linked with what must have been the historical experience of the soldiers garrisoned on the battlements of the castle. The only problem was that my shoes got very muddy because I did not realize how muddy the chalk would get. It makes sense but it simply didn't occur to me before I went and I was not wearing hiking boots, although the shoes I was wearing were resilient.Canterbury
My first stop was actually St. Augustine's Abbey, a fascinating ruin of an Abbey created by the man responsible for bringing Christianity (back) to Britain. The Romans had implemented it initially, but once they left St. Augustine was sent by Pope Gregory I (I think) to convert the "savages" living in the area. He built an impressive but somewhat simple (clean, basic lines, etc.) abbey. Later, when the Normans conquered after 1066, they demolished his abbey and created a much more ornate one because they believed it did God more justice. Most of the current remains are of this structure or a combination of the two, though it later became a palace for Henry VIII, a "pleasure garden," and grounds for Romantic poets and painters as it fell into successive disrepair and irreligious use. Finally, a young upperclass man read of its almost destroyed state in the 19th century and was horrified, making it his personal project to restore and preserve the ruins. St. Augustine is buried at the sight, his grave pictured above. It was a great site for photos and it was amazing how much history was in this rather obscure location.
My next stop was another, perhaps even more obscure religious site - St. Martin's Church. The building itself was relatively unremarkable, though surrounded by a graveyard with a great sense of peace, mystery, and reverence. What was interesting about this church was that it is the oldest church in the English-speaking world. A nice thing to be able to say I've seen and to have experienced. It was definitely a contrast to my next stop at Canterbury Cathedral, which was many times larger and, while not the most ornate cathedral, definitely more modern and ornate that St. Martin's modest, if historic, church.
Of course, no trip to Canterbury would be complete without the trip to Canterbury Cathedral. That was my next stop after St. Augustine's Abbey. I have, at this point, visited many cathedrals across Europe from various timer periods and in various styles. Some have been very ornate or beautiful in their simplicity. Canterbury Cathedral, though not as ornate as some, had a kind of artistic unity to it that was truly striking. Particularly striking was some of the stained glass and the relatively simple but massive and seemingly endless ceiling. Of course all (most) cathedrals are vaulted with that emphasis on grandeur, but Canterbury really stole my breath in this regard for reasons I can't entirely place. The stained glass also had a particularly striking beauty. Nevertheless, the stained glass would soon be in competition with Bath Abbey, which will be described in the post to follow (the ceiling remains unsurpassed). Also, though I did not stay, there was a performance of Verdi's Requiem that evening, which would I'm sure have been incredible.
The rest of my afternoon and evening were spent sort of wandering from place to place among other smaller attractions in Canterbury. I stopped through a garden, although I have to say looking at several of the gardens that were scattered throughout the city none of them were particularly impressive. They were more like small, well-cultivated parks. That was fine and I got a few nice photos in them, but they were a bit of a distraction from more interesting things. I might rewrite the travel brochures if I were in control of such things!
Hurrying a bit, I made it to, into, and through the Roman history museum. I'm a big fan of Roman history and find everything related to it quite fascinating. Apparently there was a roman townhouse that was discovered in Canterbury during some excavations (it might even have been during the blitz, now that I think on it). The floor, now much upheaved but still with some of its tile mosaics intact, is the highlight of the museum, but it was amazing how many artifacts from Roman daily life (clothes, tools, utensils, etc., etc.) were also recovered from the site (with more work still being done). From there I made my way to a more modern artifact - the ruins of Canterbury Keep. Intriguingly, the remnants of an older Roman wall can still be seen surrounding part of the keep. The keep itself, though, is a newer building from the middle ages. In the dying light of the day, it was beautiful.
Finally, with the last of my time and the light I made my way to the Dane John Gardens, which were still a bustle of day to day fall outdoor activity. I hiked up the top of the almost sculpted, fantastical grassy Dane John Mound and took some shots of Canterbury Cathedral and the cityscape. Then it was a rush back to the train station for the two hour or so ride back to London. It was a great first outing, to be followed by more great trips, which will be detailed shortly in more posts!
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