(♪ A Ship to Old England Came, Mara Carlyle ♪)
Kent: one of the few English counties to still use a name with roots in the ancient pre-Roman
languages that once rang out across this island. The word Kent is derived from Kantos,
which means 'border', a fitting name for a place that's home to Dover Castle, a medieval
fortress rising imperiously from the crest of a grand hill, staring watchfully out to sea.
Dover Castle sits looking out to sea, effectively guarding the narrowest part of the channel.
Much of the castle that we can see today dates from the 1180s to the early 1200s but the site
has been occupied for much, much longer than that as we've seen at so many of our sites. In
some places, one has to look hard or to dig down to find that deeper historical story but at Dover
it's right here. In some cases that deeper story is standing literally right in front of you,
four stories high. This is a remarkable lighthouse, a Pharos, and it dates to the
first half of the second century AD. It appears to have still been use as a lighthouse in the
12th century, around 1000 years after it was first built by the Romans. And the church of St
Mary in Castro which lies directly alongside, that might have been founded as early as the
mid 7th century but the existing building, while heavily restored, dates from around about 1000 AD.
But it's not all about looking into the deep past. Dover Castle has always played a part
in the defence of the realm and it played a part in both world wars. The headland here is riddled
with tunnels, many of them first dug during the Napoleonic wars and these were used as a base
from which to plan and execute various operations including Operation Dynamo,
the evacuation of troops from Dunkirk.
This unique site positively oozes history. It's a location that has always been of central
importance to anyone looking to reign over England and defend their land from the south.
The continent, filled with rulers who've often viewed England as a prize worth fighting for,
lies less than 21 miles away over the water.
More than 700 years ago, Dover Castle was described as the Key of England and of course
this place has been a key fortification throughout its history. Taken together, the white cliffs and
the castle have for a long time been a symbol, a powerful symbol, of England, indeed of Britain.
Certainly this is absolutely true during the second world war. But in the 19th century Dover
was once described as "historic, cliff-guarded, castle-crowned Dover" which I think is a beautiful
way to look at this place. The channel that the castle looks out on is undoubtedly a
barrier but it also has to be seen very much as a highway. It's always been used this way and
it still is today. As much as it separates, it's allowed people to communicate and for as long as
Britain has been separate from the continent there's always been people plying the waters here
especially as its narrowest point, and of course that's still very much the case today when goods
and people cross the water. If Pendennis feels like it has a story of leave taking then Dover
for me at least always has a very strong sense of homecoming. For many the castle
and the cliffs would be the first thing they saw as they came back to England from various
conflicts and travels. But of course for others the castle is all about defence and defiance.
The seafaring people of England have blessed us with a rich singing tradition
packed with raucous shanties and sentimental songs overflowing with longing and loss.
A recurring theme we find is that of bloody encounters with the supposedly treacherous French.
These songs document clashes with England's old enemy who'd venture out into the wild
winds of the channel to do battle amongst the waves. One of the finest of these songs,
sung here for us by Mara Carlyle, is A Ship to Old England Came. The lyrics tell the tale of
an English vessel that encounters a fleet of French ships in the inky black night.
They wait until sunrise to launch into the fray, uncertain if they'll see the sun rise again.