Dover is a town and major
ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East
England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the
English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of
Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east
along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings. The town is
the administrative centre of the Dover District and home of
the Dover Calais ferry through the Port of Dover. The
surrounding chalk cliffs have become known as the White
cliffs of Dover, and the narrow sea passage nearby – the
Strait of Dover. Its strategic position has always been
evident throughout its history: archaeological finds have
revealed that the area has always been a focus for peoples
entering and leaving Britain. The River Dour originated the
name of the town, which has been inhabited since the Stone
Age according to archeological finds, and Dover is one of
only a few places in Britain – London, Cornwall and
Canterbury being other examples – to have a corresponding
name in the French language, Douvres.
Services related to the Port of Dover provide a great deal
of the town’s employment, as does tourism, although many of
the former ferry services have declined. There was a
military barracks in Dover, which was closed in 2007.
Things to do near Dover, Kent
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