We were up early and got on the coach where we had just under two hours until we hit the city of Cantebury which is southeast of us if you look on the map. We arrived and had a short while to look around the town before we went to the Cathedral there. It is the major tourist attraction in the city, which otherwise wouldn't draw a huge crowd. Anyways, we toured that and it was a fantastic site. Something I would have never seen if it wasn't for my director bringing us here for a day trip. The pictures later will show you what I mean when I saw it was fantastic. After the tour we had a short amount of time to spend in the city before we got back on the coach and headed even more southeast until we hit the coast and the city of Dover. It is a famous port city dating back until around 100 AD. It is still very popular today. In Dover, there is a huge Castle, which is also famous dating back almost as far as the port city. Again, the pictures will do more justice than my words can explain. So, here we go with the pictures, starting in Cantebury and ending at the Dover Castle.
This is the entrance to the Cathedral. You have to walk through this in order to see the Cathedral. It was built about the same time as the majority of the Cathedral. Very intricate detail on this. Very similar to the Cathedral itself.
Statues of influential people that are built right into the side of the Cathedral. It must have taken a long time to do each one. This is a small section and it lines the majority of the outside of the Cathedral.
View from the very back of the Cathedral. Looking forward, estimation of the length is 150 yards. It is huge to say the least. This is the "less holy" section of the Cathedral known as the "Nave".
Huge stain glass window that dates back 800 years. One of only a few original that still stand today. It is the whole back wall of the church if you are inside.
This "screen" as they call it separates the "less holy" part of the church from the "more holy" part. The farther west you were in the church, the less holy you were. The farther east you went, the closer to the altar you got.
Place of Thomas Beckets death. This statue is as close to the exact place he died as experts can imagine.
View of the "more holy" part known as the Quire. I am standing on the farthest west part of the Quire and at the end of the picture lays the Altar.
The altar with the place of Thomas Beckets place of burial behind it. As the most influential character in the Church, he was buried in the far east.
The farthest east part of the church. If you look close, there is a single candle burning in the middle of the open area. That is a memorial for Thomas Becket. Beyond that is the Quire or "holy part".
The Altar. Enough said.
Front view of the Cathedral.
Dover Castle
Our group entering the Castle.
View over the city of Dover and the English Channel. It was an amazing view from here, but even better in the Castle.
Secret War tunnels I illegally took a picture of. We got a tour of these. It was 7 stories under ground, built into the side of the hill. It was injured soldiers basically, with some barracks. There were multiple layers of tunnels. We only got to see the one channel of tunnels. It was no more than 7 feet tall and at some points less than 6. No cameras could be used down here, so this is the best I could get.
From the look out tour over the English Channel. This is a place flying over the channel....
Just kidding, it was a picture of a plane! The window in this picture had examples of what the look out tour would really see during WWII and D-Day.
View from on top of the look our tour. Before we were enclosed, now we are on top. The wind up here was over 50 mph and it was freezing cold. On a clear day, you can see France from this spot.
Original light house built before any of the Castle was. Some time around the time of Christ it was built. The church next to it was first started in 100AD and completed shortly after by the Romans. They were ordered to spread the Roman empire and it was built a long time ago.
View from inside the Church toward the altar. It was blocked off so I could go see the altar. Neat little church for being 2000 years old.
Great Tower in the Castle. This picture does not do it justice. It is so big and so cool with so much to see inside.
View of what would have been the kitchen. Very interesting to see the kind of stuff they used back then.
They even drank back than!!!
View of the church and light house from the top of the Great Tower. Gives you an idea on how big the Great Tower is if those buildings look tiny.
Court yard on top of the Great Tower. In the distance it over looks the city of Dover.
Flag flying high and free at the highest point of the Castle.
View of the descent downwards to war tunnels, not to be mistaken of the secret war tunnels I mentioned earlier.
Well room. This is where be drew their water from the well the Castle was built on top of. We dropped a penny down it and timed it. It took just under 9 seconds. We estimated it to be just over 300 feet to the bottom.
Old school catapult that was used to shoot out at the channel.
As always, I have plenty of more pictures from both sites. Let me know somehow if you want to see any more. I took just shy of 200 today.
Tonight, briefly, we went to Tottem Court Road. Piccadilly line to Leicester Square and transferred to the Northern for one stop. We went out to try and find a college pub or place, but all we found was a huge selection of pubs with loads of English men that love to talk to Americans. Fun night. Came home kind of early.
Time for some sleep.
Cheers
Jimmy
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