The Key to England

By Linda Tancs

The history of England’s Dover Castle begins in the 1180s, when King Henry II commenced building of the present fortress. It’s known as the “key to England” because of its strategic location overlooking the English Channel from the White Cliffs of Dover and its defensive significance. In fact, the castle has played a crucial role in the defense of the realm for over nine centuries, a span equaled only by the Tower of London and Windsor Castle. Remarkably, an even older structure exists within the castle walls, a lighthouse built by the Romans to guide ships into the harbor after they invaded in A.D. 43. One of only three Roman lighthouses to survive from the whole of the former Roman Empire, it is also the most complete standing Roman building in England.