Well, it looks like Paddy and Plunkett are still rambling their way around the English southeast! I wonder whose rather elaborate doorstep they’ve landed on today?
This is Dover Castle, the largest castle in England. Most of this massive sprawling fortress was commissioned by Henry II, who probably hoped it would impress the many European pilgrims who passed through Dover on their way to Canterbury.
In keeping with this royal connection, Dover Castle holds replicas of what the crown jewels would have looked like at that time…
Oooooh! Sparkly… Although probably a couple of sizes too big for our heroes’ heads.
The Castle also boasts some truly beautiful stained glass windows…
…And a reassuring quantity of cannons.
But not all of the castle is above ground! The cliffs under the castle are riddled with a network of underground tunnels, the earliest ones dating back to the Napoleonic Wars. They were originally designed so that a large number of soldiers could get from the castle to the beaches below quickly and easily in case of invasion.
One of the coolest things about the tunnels is how you get into them in the first place! If you look closely, you’ll see that this spiral staircase is actually a double helix, meaning that there are two separate staircases here, instead of just one. Architecture buff Plunkett found this fascinating, and wanted to share this photo with you all.
And Dover Castle’s history doesn’t stop there. The Castle and its tunnels were pressed back into service during the Second World War, initially as an air raid shelter, but later as a military command centre, telephone exchange and hospital. Some of the tunnels are even meant to be used as nuclear bunkers! Evidence of this more recent military involvement is there for any Beastie to see… and to climb over.
Yikes! Look at that thing! It’s lucky Plunkett is driving this time – who knows what would happen if Paddy commandeered the wheel?
Paddy and Plunkett will be back next Friday – assuming they aren’t held for questioning by the local police – and don’t forget to tune in on Tuesday to meet some more new Beasties!
(Or, if you happen to be in Dublin tomorrow, you can meet them in person! We’ll be at the Ha’Penny Market in The Grand Social, Liffey Street, from 12-6!)
Love the pix of Dover Castle! Thanks for sharing. By the way, just noticed & love your logo pic.
Thank you! Those little monsters end up in the most interesting places… And thanks for noticing my logo! It’s a “monster face” doodle I used to draw on things, and when I needed a logo it was a natural first choice š
Brilliant! š
We like Dover too
It looks great! Paddy and Plunkett really have had a super-interesting time exploring your part of the world.
It’s a lovely place , but a bit crowded at times, depends on when & where you go.
Same as Dublin, I suppose… We’ve had a busy summer here this year (despite the awful weather š)!
Eeeek! Who let the Beasties loose with a field gun? And, unless I’m mistaken, I think it might be pointing at France!
Uh-oh! Are you saying that we could be looking at an international incident here?! I REALLY hope Plunkett didn’t let Paddy have a turn behind the controls… š
I love the pic with them on the cannon. The spiral staircase is really neat too. š
Cheers! Although for some reason I always get a little nervous when I see Paddy near weapons… š
This is so much fun! I am glad that you take your monsters out to play. They get into so much mischief if they stay indoors too long!
Thanks! And yes, there’s nothing worse than a cooped-up monster! Cheers for stopping by š
This looks right up my alley. I’m fascinated with underground tunnels anywhere (perhaps I have some gopher DNA lurking around in my chromosomes). Although i don’t know how safe I’d feel with Beasties manning the guns above me.
Yes, especially since they’ll need to cooperate to compensate for the fact that they’re too small to operate the human-sized controls! And underground tunnels ARE fascinating… Also, as if this place wasn’t interesting enough already, some of the system under Dover Castle is still off-limits to the public, and records about these areas aren’t due to be declassified for another 5-10 years!
Hmmm, underground secrets…that only kicks me into Dora-the-Explorer mode more!
Perhaps the temptation will prove too much, and you’ll have to hop over to Dover yourself! You should bring Finn McSpool, his diminutive stature will come in handy if the tunnels get super-narrow…
Those two get everywhere don’t they? āŗ
They really do! Honestly, they have a better social life than I do myself!