"Keeweechic's Dover" a Dover Travel Page by keeweechic

The Stone Age people were reported to be the first settlers in Dover somewhere around 6000 years ago. Under the direction of Julius Caesar, the first Roman forces invaded Dover in 55BC but were forced back by fierce Celts, who forcefully defended their coastline. It was not until 43 AD that Roman forces successfully landed on British soil at Richborough and took control of the land as far as the northern border. Dover, then called DVBRIS and went on to become Roman's most important naval town. When the Roman Empire fell, Dover and much of Kent became a major settlement for many Germanic tribes who came across the North Sea. Many of these settlers were of German and Denmark origin and were hired as soldiers to help fight against the Picts and Scots. At that time Dover was known as DOFRAS and became a major settlement in Kent. Monastaries were built at that time. Many important Saxon remains have been found in the area including a remarkable grave stone, jewellery, burial remains, and household items. St. Mary-in-Castro which still stands today was built on the Castle Hill in the 10th century and is a monument to the Saxon era.

The Norman Conquest in 1066 which was also the year of the Battle of Hastings changed British history when William the Conqueror defeated the Saxon defences. William marched on Dover, stopping only to burn the castle and a few villages to the ground to take control of the town and the country’s most important strategical ports (closest point to France.)

Today, Dover is a rich with its history and can offer what few other towns can boast with unique collection of relics and monuments dating back from the Bronze Age, the Roman Empire, the Saxon era, and virtually every other important historic period.