LoMAZ Away Day: Dover Castle

Join us for a trip to Dover Castle on the Kent coast!

Dover Castle, known as the "Key to England" offers a wide range of historical attractions from the Norman keep, Roman lighthouse, Saxon church, Henry II's medieval Great Tower, a medieval siege play area, a network of wartime tunnels used during World War II, and exhibits detailing Operation Dynamo, the evacuation of Allied troops from Dunkirk. Read more about the history here.

THE PLAN FOR THE DAY:
There is a lot to see at this castle! So we've put together a route that starts at 11am and finishes at 6pm.

• So if you want to see it all, join us for the 11am start.
• Or, if you prefer, join us for the picnic lunch at 1pm and the afternoon.

Of course, feel free to spend longer in areas that particularly interest you, and catch up with us further on in the route.

NB this is a route we have created, we will not have a guide.

ROUTE:
You can get a map at the ticket desk when you arrive. The numbers below refer to the numbers on the map so you can easily find us whatever time you choose to join:

11:00am - Meet outside the Roman Pharos [no. 2 on the map]
11:15am - Explore the Roman Pharos and the Church of St Mary-in-Castro [no. 3 on the map]
11:45am - Underground Hospital Annexe Room [no. 16 on the map]
12:30pm - Arthur's Hall [no. 5 on the map]
13:00pm - Picnic on the grass within the keep surroundings.
13:30pm - Princess of Wales's Regiment and Queen's Regiment Museum [no. 6 on the map]
13:45 - Henry II's Great Tower (the actual castle) [no. 7 on the map]
14:30 - Dover Castle Under Siege and Georgian barracks [no. 9 on map]
14:50 - Spur Tunnels [no. 8 on the map]
15:20 - Exit through The Spur, afternoon sitting break and viewing the castle [no. 11 on the map]
15:50 - Battlements periphery walk of the castle via the Avranches Tower
16:10 - Operation Dynamo: Rescue from Dunkirk [no. 15 on the map]
17:10 - WWI Fire Command Post
18:00 - Leave the castle

LUNCH:
We'll sit outside and have lunch from 1-1.30 pm (weather permitting). We suggest you bring a packed lunch and a picnic blanket as there aren't many seated areas. There is a cafe if you prefer to buy something.

TICKETS:
You will need to book your own ticket here.
Adults: £28.60 (this includes a 15% discount for buying up to midnight the day before. Buying a ticket on the day costs £35.50)
Concessions: £25.40
English Heritage members: Free

GETTING THERE:
Address: Castle Hill, Dover, Kent, CT16 1HU
You will need to make your own travel arrangements...

TRAINS:

• FOR 11AM START: 9:04am train from London St Pancras International arriving at Dover Priory at 10:13am. Journey time 1h 9m (direct).
• FOR 1PM START: 11:07am train from London St Pancras International arriving at Dover Priory at 12:14am. Journey time 1h 7m (direct).
• It is then a 1 mile uphill walk from Dover Priory station, or you can take the 81 bus.
• There are also stopping trains.

CAR:

• There is a free car park on site.

COACH:

• https://www.nationalexpress.com/en/destinations/dover

More info: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/dover-castle/plan-your-visit/directions/

PUB SOCIAL:
We haven't planned a pub social for this event. However Dover has lots of pubs, so we can head to one if there is interest after we leave the castle.

EVENT WHATSAPP GROUP:
If you are on the 'going' list only please join the event WhatsApp group to help you find the group on the day. Please let a host know if your Whatsapp name is different from your Meetup name, otherwise we'll assume you're a spammer!
Link tbc in the Event Comments at least 48 hours before the event. Joining the WhatsApp group will make your phone number visible to other members in the group.

GROUP RULES, PLEASE NOTE:
LoMAZ events are run by volunteers. We limit event numbers as we prefer a smaller, friendlier group.

• If you can no longer attend, please change your RSVP as soon as possible.
• Members on the 'going list' who do not change their RSVP to 'no' and do not show up 3 times in a row will be removed from the group.
• If you're on the waitlist, you will automatically be moved to the 'going' list if space becomes available. Please do not attend if you aren't on the 'going list'.
• If you RSVP as 'Going' but then change your RSVP to 'No' 5 times in a row, then you will be removed from the group.

Thank you for your interest in the group & being part of LoMAZ.

Image credit: Chensiyuan, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons