English Heritage has launched some new exclusive group packages at Dover Castle that include special access to tunnels and royal chambers.
Groups visiting Dover Castle from now onwards can benefit from early access tours which are just for groups, as well as private tours of King Henry II’s technicolour Great Tower.
Wartime tunnels and palace chambers
The early access tour involves groups entering the popular Secret Wartime Tunnels on an Operation Dynamo Tunnel Tour.
The tunnels run beneath the famous White Cliffs and housed the nerve-centre of operations for Winston Churchill and Vice Admiral Ramsay as they masterminded the evacuation of 338,000 British and French troops in 1940.
After the Tunnel Tour, groups can also visit the underground hospital to see where the casualties of war were treated.
Great Tower Tours, meanwhile, will take you into King Henry II’s 12th century palace which stands at the heart of the castle. King Henry, whose kingdom stretched across Europe, built the tower to entertain and impress international pilgrims as they travelled to the shrine of Thomas Beckett in Canterbury.
Visitors today will see the recreation of the king’s colourful displays of wealth as a guide leads them through the private chambers, guest rooms, a kitchen, armouries and the great hall.
Other highlights to enjoy at Dover Castle include the cliff-edge World War One Fire Command Post with an original anti-aircraft gun, the Roman lighthouse, Anglo-Saxon church, Battlement Walks and Medieval Underground Works.
Thinking of booking a trip?
For GTOs planning a visit, the tours guarantee your group will have a personal insight of the two castle hot spots and will get to avoid queues.
For groups of between 15 and 30 members, tours can be booked up to two weeks in advance.
Groups are also eligible for discounted entry to the castle and when booking a tour will get the choice of either a souvenir Dover Castle guidebook, or a tea or coffee and cake for each group member.
For more information, visit www.english-heritage.org.uk/dovercastle.
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