The Citadel Underground and Overground Tour
About This Event
Come with Hidden History Tours UK to visit a hidden historical gem – the jewel of the mighty Western Heights complex of Dover.
The Citadel encompasses a vast area and features countless bastions, casemates, gun rooms and flanking galleries, connected by passages, ramparts, ditches and other defences, both above and below ground. After the army left in 1954, it began a new phase of life as a place of incarceration: a borstal, youth custody centre and a Category C prison.
Described as the ‘strongest and most elaborate fortification in the country’, the Citadel was begun back in 1779. Walk in the footsteps of the very different inhabitants of this mighty fortress who lived here across the centuries – including a much-loved Bengal tiger and a Hollywood heartthrob of the 1940s!
Explore this incredible military and correctional complex, with tunnels (with incredible WW2 graffiti), cellars, spiral staircases, bomb-proof accommodation, prison blocks, solitary confinement cells and much more. Panoramic views over the Kent countryside, the town of Dover, the English Channel and the coast of France complete an historical experience like no other.
Morning (11am) and afternoon (2pm) tours are available. Torches and sturdy shoes essential!
Accessibility:
Due to the nature of this historic site, this tour is suitable for the able-bodied only. It includes numerous stairs, narrow steps, uneven surfaces and dark enclosed spaces. Surfaces include tarmac, grass, flagstones and packed earth – sometimes with loose debris. It includes unlit areas so all visitors must bring a torch.
Total walking time/distance: two hours/approx. 1 mile.
If you have any doubts, please contact Hidden History Tours before booking to discuss your individual requirements.
