65-670: Dover Museum is a museum in Dover , Kent, in south-east England. Founded in February 1836 by the town's mayor Edward Pett Thompson, it was initially housed in the old Guildhall and run by the Dover Philosophical Institute. The Town Council (predecessor of Dover District Council ) formally took it over 12 years later, constructing a new building to house it and the town's market, in Market Square. Shelled from France in 1942 during
130-509: A Sudanese man, Abdulfatah Hamdallah, drowned in the Channel making the journey from France. He died after his and his friend's inflatable dinghy , which they were powering using shovels as oars , capsized. While his companion and British news media claimed he was 16 years old, Boulogne-Sur-Mer 's deputy public prosecutor Philippe Sabatier said a travel document provided by Mr Hamdallah gave his age as 28. The pair had previously been living in
195-404: A French coast guard official reported the death of five migrants from 'crowd panic' during an attempt to cross the channel. James Cleverly accused Labour of enabling people smugglers through ineffective policies, citing the arrival of over 700 migrants and two deaths in the Channel on 11 August 2024. He called on Labour to reverse these decisions and strengthen border control. On 3 September,
260-573: A fortified port. Dover has a partly preserved Roman lighthouse (the tallest surviving Roman structure in Britain) and the remains of a villa with preserved Roman wall paintings. Dover later figured in Domesday Book (1086). Forts were built above the port and lighthouses were constructed to guide passing ships. It is one of the Cinque Ports . and has served as a bastion against various attackers: notably
325-841: A long-established shipping route. The shortest distance across the strait, at approximately 20 miles (32 kilometres), is from the South Foreland , northeast of Dover in the English county of Kent , to Cap Gris Nez , a cape near to Calais in the French département of Pas-de-Calais . As of 18 August 2024, the Home Office has detected 132,896 migrants who have crossed the English Channel in small boats since 2018. Seaborne crossings aboard small boats by would-be refugees and migrants were rare before 2018, however some crossings were recorded in
390-778: A mixed military school in Dover. Both grammar schools require the Dover Test or the Kent Test for admission to Year 7. Duke of York's Royal Military School is a selective secondary school with academy status and England's only military boarding school for children of service personnel (co-education ages 11–18), located next to the former site of Connaught Barracks . Non-selective secondary schools There are fjewwr ex- secondary modern mixed schools in Dover, all with academy status . Astor Secondary School federated with St Radigunds Primary School (then renamed White Cliffs Primary College for
455-654: A new museum building on three stories (behind the museum's original Victorian facade) was opened in Market Square. On 20 July 1999 the Queen opened a new gallery on the museum's second floor centred on the Dover Bronze Age Boat . In December 2000, this gallery was awarded the British Archaeological Awards ICI Award 2000, for its contribution to archaeological knowledge. Its collections, displayed on three floors include: The White Cliffs Experience
520-490: A revamped promenade and beachfront. This followed in 2019, with a new 500m Pier to the west of the Harbour, and new Marina unveiled as part of a £330m investment in the area. It has also been a point of destination for many illegal migrant crossings. The Port of Dover provides much of the town's employment, as does tourism including to the landmark White Cliffs of Dover . There were over 368,000 tourists visiting Dover castle in
585-603: A success and has now been closed and its building converted into the Dover Library and Discovery Centre. That portion of the archaeology can still be viewed, but only by request from the library staff. Many of the dioramas and reconstruction figures have been reused in Dover Museum. The White Cliffs Experience was closed in 1999 for a combination of reasons; the Labour opposition group on Dover District Council had always been against
650-422: A total of 1,295 migrants crossed the Channel in 27 boats, setting a new record for crossings in a single day. As at 30 October, the total for the year of 2022 stood at 39,430. The BBC reports that 45,755 people crossed the Channel in small boats for the year 2022. The Home Office predicted that the number of people arriving on small boats could reach 85,000 for the whole of 2023. In the first three months of
715-421: Is 20% lower than at the same point of time in 2022, with the month of August seeing a 38% reduction in crossings compared to 2022 (8,631 migrants in 2022 compared to 5,369 in 2023). By the middle of November 2023, the number of people arriving by small boat crossings has continued to fall with a 33% reduction recorded compared to the same point of time last year. The Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick has stated
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#1732852495389780-488: Is controlled by the Channel Navigation Information Service based at Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre Dover. MRCC Dover is also charged with co-ordination of civil maritime search and rescue within these waters. The Port of Dover is also used by cruise ships. The old Dover Marine railway station building houses one passenger terminal, together with a car park. A second, purpose-built, terminal
845-420: Is designed to lay afloat. Built from fibre reinforced composite (FRC) the boat is lightweight yet very strong and is designed to right itself in the event of a capsize. There are seven secondary level schools serving Dover. Public schools Dover College is a mixed public school founded in 1871 by a group of local business men. Selective secondary schools There are two single-sex grammar schools and
910-494: Is located further out along the pier. The ferry lines using the port are (number of daily sailings in parentheses): These services have been cut in recent years: Dover's main communications artery, the A2 road replicates two former routes, connecting the town with Canterbury. The Roman road was followed for centuries until, in the late 18th century, it became a toll road . Stagecoaches were operating: one description stated that
975-665: Is located in Whitfield, 4 miles north of Dover. Technical College English Channel migrant crossings (2018-present) An increasing number of refugees and migrants have been entering the United Kingdom illegally by crossing the English Channel in the last decades. The Strait of Dover section between Dover in England and Calais in France represents the shortest sea crossing, and is
1040-807: Is on the Stagecoach Diamond network providing links to Canterbury and Deal . The Western Docks at the port of Dover are served from the town centre as well as Canterbury and Deal. Dover is the start of The Wave network to New Romney via Folkestone , Hythe and Dymchurch . There are services to Lydd via Lydd Airport , and links to Sandwich . National Express runs coaches from Dover to other towns in Kent including Canterbury, Folkestone, Ashford, Kent , Maidstone , Gillingham at Hempsted Valley shopping centre and Greenhithe at Bluewater Shopping Centre for Dartford to London including Bexleyheath , Eltham , Walworth , Canary Wharf , Elephant & Castle ,
1105-575: Is the administrative centre of the Dover District and home of the Port of Dover . Archaeological finds have revealed that the area has always been a focus for peoples entering and leaving Britain . The name derives from the River Dour that flows through it. In recent times the town has undergone transformations with a high-speed rail link to London, new retail in town with St James' area opened in 2018, and
1170-450: Is usually between 3 °C (37 °F) and 21.1 °C (70.0 °F). In 1800, the year before Britain's first national census, Edward Hasted (1732–1812) reported that the town had a population of almost 10,000 people. At the 2001 census, the town of Dover had 28,156 inhabitants, while the population of the whole urban area of Dover, as calculated by the Office for National Statistics ,
1235-581: The British Army of the Rhine in the event of a Soviet ground invasion of Europe. In 1974, a discovery was made at Langdon Bay off the coast near Dover. It contained bronze axes of French design and is probably the remainder of the cargo of a sunken ship. At the same time, this find also shows that trade routes across the Channel between England and France existed already in the Bronze Age , or even earlier. In 1992,
1300-574: The Calais Jungle for at least two months prior. By 20 October, the total number of crossings in 2020 reached 7,294. On 27 October, a Kurdish-Iranian family of five from Sardasht died after a boat capsized outside France on way to reach the UK. Artin Irannezhad, a 15 month old toddler from the shipwreck, washed up on Karmøy island on 1 January 2021. By the end of the year, about 635 boats had crossed
1365-509: The Home Office reported that only around 125 were returned to other European countries . Since November 2018, the number of migrants crossing has grown. The total number of migrants arriving by this route during 2018 was 297. In 2019 and 2020 the numbers grew significantly, and by September 2020 an estimated total of 7,500 had entered Britain by this route. The number of crossings rose further to 45,755 in 2022 before declining to 29,437 in 2023. Many arrive in small boats, ferries and may enter
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#17328524953891430-626: The Saxon Shore Way and the North Downs Way . The National Trust White Cliffs can be reached by foot from the town centre, with pathways to South Foreland Lighthouse , and St Margarets Bay along the cliff top . The walking routes from Dover pass the National Trust visitor centre on the landmark chalk cliffs overlooking the English Channel with views of France visible on a clear day. Two National Cycle Network routes begin their journey at
1495-511: The Second World War , the museum lost much of its collections, including nearly all of its natural history collections. Much of the surviving material was left neglected in caves and other stores until 1946, and it is estimated only 30% of the pre-war collection survived to that date. In 1948 a 'temporary' museum was opened in the Town Hall's undercroft, but this in fact lasted until 1991, when
1560-818: The South Eastern Railway's main line connected with Folkestone in 1844, and the London, Chatham & Dover Railway opened its line from Canterbury in 1861. Southeastern trains run from Dover Priory to London Charing Cross , London Victoria or London St Pancras International stations in London, and Ramsgate or Sandwich in Kent. With the introduction of the high-speed service into St Pancras International via High Speed 1 , rail journey times between London and Dover were reduced to 55 minutes non-stop. The Chatham Main Line into Priory
1625-692: The Arts) to form the Dover Federation for the Arts (DFA). Subsequently, Barton Junior School and Shatterlocks Nursery and Infant School joined the DFA. In 2014, the DFA was warned by the Department for Education about "unacceptably low standards of performance of pupils ". St Edmund's Catholic School federated with St Richards Catholic Primary School to form the Dover Federation of Catholic Schools. Dover Christ Church Academy
1690-535: The Channel, carrying 8,438 people. Illegal crossings continued in 2021, including 103 people on 10 January and 77 people on 24 February. On 19 July, 430 people crossed the channel, making it the largest crossing on record. 1,850 people had crossed in July alone, which is more than the total for the whole of 2019. On 11 November, a new record daily number of migrant crossings occurred, with around 1,000 people intercepted by border patrols. The cumulative total of 23,000 for
1755-627: The City of London and to Victoria Coach Station . The Dover lifeboat is a Severn class lifeboat based in the Western Docks. Dover Lifeboat station is based at crosswall quay in Dover Harbour. There is a Severn-class lifeboat , which is the biggest in the fleet. It belongs to the RNLI which covers all of Great Britain. The lifeboat number is 17–09 and has a lot of emergencies in the Channel. The Severn class
1820-511: The English Channel from France. The below charts are demographic breakdowns, as recorded by the Home Office , of the age and sex of small boat arrivals from January 2018 to December 2022. 72,324 of small boat arrivals between 2018–2022 were male, 9,527 were female with 3,038 recorded as unknown. 63,101 of arrivals were between the ages of 18 and 39 representing the majority (74.3%) of those arriving. Small Boat Arrivals by Sex from 2018—2022. Small Boat Arrivals by Age Group from 2018—2022. In
1885-509: The English back to Canterbury. French control of Dover lasted for three months after which English troops pushed back, forcing the French to surrender and return home. Dover is in the south-east corner of Britain. From South Foreland , the nearest point to the European mainland, Cap Gris Nez is 34 kilometres (21 mi) away across the Strait of Dover. The site of its original settlement lies in
1950-575: The Experience. 51°07′30″N 1°18′48″E / 51.1250°N 1.3132°E / 51.1250; 1.3132 Dover Dover ( / ˈ d oʊ v ər / DOH -vər ) is a town and major ferry port in Kent , South East England . It faces France across the Strait of Dover , the narrowest part of the English Channel at 33 kilometres (21 mi) from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maidstone . The town
2015-612: The French during the Napoleonic Wars and Germany during the Second World War . During the Cold War , a Regional Seat of Government was located within the White Cliffs beneath Dover Castle. This is omitted from the strategic objects appearing on the Soviet 1:10,000 city plan of Dover that was produced in 1974. The port would have served as an embarkation point for sending reinforcements to
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2080-509: The High Street, Biggin Street, Market Square, Cannon Street, Pencester Road and Castle Street. The Castleton Retail Park is to the north-west of the town centre. The new St James' Retail and Leisure Park opened in 2018 and is a southern extension of the town centre; it consists of shops, restaurants, a Travelodge Hotel and a Cineworld Cinema. The Dover Harbour Board is the responsible authority for
2145-553: The Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club to the town of Sandwich. In Sandwich the route links with Regional route 15. Dover town centre is cycle friendly: There are dedicated cycle lanes along the seafront and cycle routes through the town's pedestrianised High Street area. The Port of Dover is a 20-minute walk from Dover Priory railway station . The port offers crossings to both Calais (DFDS, P&O and Irish Ferries) and Dunkerque (DFDS). The Dover to Dunkirk ferry route
2210-475: The UK in 2017. During the course of 2019, almost 1,900 had made the crossing by the end of the year. From July to December 2019, an average of approximately 200 people made the crossing per month. In April 2020, boat arrivals for that month was over 400 – the highest monthly total ever recorded. In July, the number of people crossing almost matched the combined total of May and June, with more migrants encouraged by good weather and calm seas. In August, it
2275-422: The UK in 2020 was 3,948 as of 7 August. According to analysis by PA Media , the number of migrants reaching the UK shore has gone beyond 4,100 people in 2020. The Home Office confirmed that 151 migrants came ashore on 8 August. French authorities claimed that in the first six months of 2020, the number of migrants crossing the English Channel increased by five times, as compared to the last year. On 19 August
2340-488: The UK would become more difficult once Brexit went into effect circulated in migrant encampments in France, possibly fomented by people smugglers hoping to drum up business. If migrants who prove themselves to be from several countries arrive in England through illegal means, upon arrival the UK Government is unlikely to reject their claims to asylum. In 2019 at least 1,890 migrants arrived from France via small boats;
2405-471: The WCE, labelling it 'The White Elephant Experience' and opposing the amount of money it took to run as well as complaining that it fell short of achieving the predicted 300,000 visitors a year. When they came to power in 1997, the new Labour council's policies for regenerating Dover relied on attracting industry and acting as an 'enabler' rather than a provider of heritage and tourism facilities. They withdrew much of
2470-528: The bottom of a boat overcrowded with migrants ripped open, resulting in 12 deaths. During the year to date, more than 21,000 people had crossed the channel. At 00:00 on 15 September, rescue services were alerted to a rubber boat north of Boulogne-sur-mer that had got in a difficult situation. After hitting rocks it had started to come apart. The boat had 60 people on it; 8 people died in the incident and 6 were hospitalized. On October 5, 2024, four people were killed in two incidents on boats attempting to cross
2535-406: The channel in 2019, politicians attached the label "crisis" to the sudden increase in seaborne crossings. Former Home Secretary Sajid Javid preferred to describe the increase in crossings as a "major incident." Journalist and former Scottish Labour Party MP Tom Harris argued that the small boat crossings that are occurring are not a "crisis." In 2023 UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak raised
2600-408: The channel were found dead on a beach on the channel coast of northern France. On 28 February, the death of three migrants attempting to cross the channel from Cap Gris Nez was confirmed by French authorities. The number of Channel crossings is 32% lower than the total recorded at the same point of time last year, but 49% higher than the total at this stage in 2022. For the first quarter of 2024,
2665-435: The cliffs. Dover has an oceanic climate (Köppen classification Cfb ) similar to the rest of the United Kingdom with mild temperatures year-round and a light amount of rainfall each month. The warmest recorded temperature was 37.4 °C (99.3 °F), recorded at Langdon Bay on 25 July 2019, While the lowest recorded temperature was −9.5 °C (14.9 °F), recorded at Dover RMS on 31 January 1972. The temperature
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2730-475: The country unnoticed, whilst others are apprehended on landing or are rescued when their craft founders off shore. Until the dispersal of the Calais Jungle in 2016, which contained an estimated 3,000 would-be immigrants to the UK, the majority of asylum seekers entering the country via the English Channel did so through the Channel Tunnel, mostly by hiding in vehicles. With the increase in numbers crossing
2795-761: The crossing in small boats in October, November and December 2018, 100 in November 2018, 230 in December. Following the surge in migrant crossing incidents in November and December, on 28 December 2018 the UK Home secretary declared a major incident regarding refugees attempting to cross the channel. As many as 227 refugees and migrants were intercepted and returned to the continent by French authorities in 2018, "at least" 95 refugees and migrants in December alone. By way of comparison, 26,547 asylum claims were filed by would be refugees in
2860-479: The crossing so far this year. In April 2022 Boris Johnson announced the Rwanda asylum plan in an attempt to deter people from making Channel crossings. In the first week of August 1,886 people crossed the Channel. On 14 August, government figures showed that 20,000 people had crossed the channel in small boats since the start of the year. They stated 60,000 were expected to make the crossing in 2022. On 22 August,
2925-592: The fall in numbers was achieved in spite of better weather conditions and a significant rise in irregular arrivals across Europe, with the number of people crossing the Mediterranean to Italy more than doubling compared to the previous year. Overall, 2023 saw a 36% fall in crossings compared to 2022, however the Immigration Services Union described the fall as a "glitch" with "higher numbers" expected for 2024. On 14 January, five migrants trying to cross
2990-596: The journey took all day to reach London, from 4 am to being "in time for supper". The other main roads, travelling west and east, are the A20 to Folkestone and thence the M20 to London, and the A258 through Deal to Sandwich. In December 2020, a long line of freight trucks formed due to sudden border closures with France, because of new strains of COVID-19 within the United Kingdom. The railway reached Dover from two directions:
3055-460: The money previously paid to tourism initiatives. At the same time, the technology used to run the animatronics and shows (laser discs, carousel slide projectors and 35mm film projectors, etc.) had quickly dated and become obsolete, and by 1998 needed replacing. Various quotes were received to update the WCE but were beyond what the Council were prepared to pay, so they decided to cut their losses and close
3120-458: The most common nationality of people arriving from small boats was from Vietnam, with the 1,266 Vietnamese arrivals making up 20% of arrivals so far. In a statement delivered by Rishi Sunak , he stated “Vietnamese arrivals have increased ten-fold and account for almost all of the increase in small boat numbers we have seen this year". On 23 April, the same day that the Safety of Rwanda bill passed,
3185-468: The old Welsh spelling, dour in Breton ). The same element is present in the town's French name Douvres and the name of the river, Dour , which is also evident in other English towns such as Wendover . However, the modern Modern Welsh name Dofr is an adaptation of the English name Dover . The current name was in use at least by the time of Shakespeare's King Lear (between 1603 and 1606), in which
3250-410: The profile of the crossings with his campaign ' Stop the boats '. The first migrants to have been recorded landing in the UK by small boat as recorded by the government was on 31 January 2018 when seven people crossed in a single boat. In 2018, 539 refugees and migrants "tried to reach Britain on small boats." Many were intercepted and returned to France. As many as 434 migrants are known to have made
3315-555: The running of the Port of Dover. The English Channel , here at its narrowest point in the Straits of Dover, is the busiest shipping lane in the world. Ferries crossing between here and the Continent have to negotiate their way through the constant stream of shipping crossing their path. The Dover Strait Traffic Separation Scheme allots ships separate lanes when passing through the Strait. The Scheme
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#17328524953893380-690: The so-called Dover boat from the Bronze Age was discovered in six metres depth underwater. This is one of the oldest finds of a seaworthy boat. Using the radiocarbon method of investigation, the boat's construction was dated to approximately 1550 BC . First recorded in its Latinised form of Portus Dubris , the name derives from the Brythonic word for water ( dwfr in Middle Welsh , dŵr in Modern Welsh apart from 'dwfrliw' (Watercolour) which has retained
3445-534: The summer of 2016 during the European migrant crisis . More commonly, migrants stowed away aboard trains, lorries, or ferry boats, a technique that has become more difficult in recent years as British authorities have intensified searches of such vehicles and funded the construction of border fences in France. Prices charged by smugglers for illegal rides across the Channel in lorries, trains and ferries have risen sharply. Rumours that entering and claiming asylum in
3510-450: The town and its cliffs play a prominent role. Louis VIII of France landed his army, seeking to depose King Henry III , on Dover's mainland beach. Henry III ambushed Louis' army with approximately 400 bowmen atop The White Cliffs of Dover and his cavalry attacking the invaders on the beach. However, the French slaughtered the English cavalry and made their way up the cliffs to disperse the bowmen. Louis' army seized Dover village, forcing
3575-471: The town. Route one goes from Dover to Canterbury. This route links with National Cycle Route 2 from Dover to St Austell, Regional route 16, and Regional route 17 in Dover. It passes three castles. Firstly from Dover on the steap incline past Dover Castle. Then South Foreland Lighthouse is visible from the route. Mostly traffic-free along the east coast from Kingsdown to Deal, passing Walmer Castle and Deal Castle . Follows toll road (free to cyclists) through
3640-399: The valley of the River Dour , sheltering from the prevailing south-westerly winds. This has led to the silting up of the river mouth by the action of longshore drift . The town has been forced into making artificial breakwaters to keep the port in being. These breakwaters have been extended and adapted so that the port lies almost entirely on reclaimed land. The higher land on either side of
3705-465: The valley – the Western Heights and the eastern high point on which Dover Castle stands – has been adapted to perform the function of protection against invaders. The town has gradually extended up the river valley, encompassing several villages in doing so. Little growth is possible along the coast, since the cliffs are on the sea's edge. The railway, being tunnelled and embanked, skirts the foot of
3770-531: The year of 2019. Dover is classified as a Large-Port Town, due to its large volumes of port traffic and low urban population. Archaeological finds have shown that there were Stone Age people in the area, and that some Iron Age finds also exist. During the Roman period , the area became part of the Roman communications network. It was connected by road to Canterbury and Watling Street and it became Portus Dubris ,
3835-484: The year was reported as far higher than previous years. On 24 November, the deadliest incident on record occurred. An inflatable dinghy carrying 30 migrants capsized while attempting to reach the UK, resulting in 27 deaths and one person missing. The victims included a pregnant woman and three children. On one day in January, 271 migrants crossed the Channel. In March 2022, More than 3,000 people arrived in small boats, compared to 831 in March 2021, with 4,559 making
3900-405: The year, 675 Indians arrived by small boats becoming the second most common nationality after Afghans (909). The number of Albanians arriving by small boats fell to 29. On 12 August, an overloaded boat sank resulting in the death of six people, all believed to be Afghan men in their 30s. In the first eight months of the year, just over 20,000 migrants have arrived using small boats. This figure
3965-448: Was 39,078 inhabitants. With the expansion of Dover, many of the outlying ancient villages have been incorporated into the town. Originally the parishes of Dover St. Mary's and Dover St. James, since 1836 Buckland and Charlton have become part Dover, and Maxton (a hamlet to the west), River , Kearsney , Temple Ewell , and Whitfield , all to the north of the town centre, are within its conurbation. The town's main shopping streets are
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#17328524953894030-460: Was a visitor attraction in Dover, attached to Dover Museum. It opened in 1991 and, though it underwent a refit halfway through its life, it still did not prove a success and closed in 1999. It included a Blitz Experience (an audio-visual street scene of World War II ). Only a small portion of the actual archaeology was on display, the attraction instead being reliant on dioramas and audio-visual displays. Even after one redesign, it did not prove
4095-436: Was electrified under British Railways in 1959 as part of Stage 1 of Kent Coast Electrification, under the BR 1955 Modernisation Plan . The line up to Ramsgate, via Deal, was subsequently electrified under stage two of Kent Coast electrification in January 1961. The line from Folkestone into Priory was electrified in June 1961. A tram system operated in the town from 1897 to 1936. Dover has two long distance footpaths :
4160-449: Was originally operated by ferry operator Norfolkline . This company was later acquired by the pan European operator DFDS Seaways in July 2010. The crossing time is approximately two hours. The location of Dunkirk is also more convenient for those travelling by road transport on to countries in Northern Europe including Belgium , the Netherlands , Germany and further afield. Stagecoach in East Kent provide local bus services. Dover
4225-412: Was reported that in 2020 so far almost 4,000 people had crossed the Channel illegally, using at least 300 small boats. On 6 August a record number of migrants arrived, at least 235. It has also been observed that while it was originally mostly men that were arriving, young children and pregnant women and babies are now often among those arriving. The total number of migrants recorded to have crossed into
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