The Channel Tunnel opened for business in the spring of 1994. Dreamed of for centuries, the massive three-bore tunnel connects England to France from Folkestone across the Pas de Calais. At 31 miles, the Channel Tunnel is the longest undersea tunnel in the world. Nearly 10 million rail passengers and 3.5 million vehicles a year travel to and from mainland Europe under, instead of over, the water. And what of Dover, England’s historic ferry port just up the Kent coast? Has it become a quiet backwater?

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It is easy to see that reports of Dover’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. The Port of Dover is flourishing as leisure-hungry Britons, determined to enjoy what Europe has to offer, load their cars for a Continental adventure. Almost unnoticed, it has also become one of northern Europe’s largest cruise ports as increasing numbers of people take to the waves for leisure.

To stand on the battlements of Dover Castle, looking out over the town to the busiest shipping lane in the world, is not to see a vision of a town out of time. The small city still remains the closest port to mainland Europe. For centuries there was little reason to visit Dover other than to take a ship for the Continent. Travel to wider parts of the world was undertaken from larger, more important docks elsewhere on the south coast or from the London Docks.

Fifteen years ago the timescale of Dover’s role as a gateway to the mainland was revealed when, in September 1992, archaeologists from the Canterbury Archaeological Trust, working alongside contractors on a new road between Dover and Folkestone, came upon the remains of a large, wooden prehistoric Bronze Age boat that was around 3,000 years old. In fact, the Dover Bronze Age boat (now in the Dover Museum) is regarded as one of the most important prehistoric discoveries of the last century. It strongly suggests cross-Channel trade going back more than 3,000 years.

Dover’s close proximity to the Continent has always ensured its role as an important seaport. The River Dour provided both a haven for shipping at its mouth and a constant supply of fresh water for its inhabitants. Town and port have been defended by a succession of Roman, medieval and postmedieval fortifications, the most impressive of which remains the great Norman castle. Its massive World War II fortifications intrigue visitors as well.

Tudor and Stuart kings and queens took a particular interest in Dover. Henry VIII and Elizabeth I recognized the value of the harbor. Expensive repairs had to be undertaken to overcome the problems created by shifting shingle. The coast of Kent, in common with much of the southern English coast, is scoured clear of sand and left with small stones, or shingle, by the prevailing currents of the English Channel, which deposit sand all along the beaches of the Pas de Calais on the other side of the Channel.

For a considerable time under the Tudors, a journey from Dover was not in fact the international voyage it is today. For two centuries, England held Calais as a possession. From its conquest in 1347 to its relinquishment on January 7, 1558, the city had representatives in Parliament.

During the reign of Charles I, Dover declared for Parliament in the Civil War, but found it politically expedient to enthusiastically welcome the return of his son Charles II to England when he landed on Dover beach on May 25, 1660. Less exalted travelers to and from England continued to use Dover in growing numbers as the quickest method across to the mainland.

As security worries, congestion and the sheer inconvenience of modern airline travel make would-be fliers think again, figures released by the Port of Dover show Continent-bound passengers are returning to ferry travel at Dover. For the second year running, car and passenger traffic using Dover’s ferries to Calais, Boulogne and Dunkirk has risen to nearly 14 million, while vehicle crossings increased 3.6 percent to 2.6 million. The Port of Dover offers up to 57 daily departures with leading operators P&O Ferries, SeaFrance, Norfolkline and SpeedFerries.

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