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t’s been a tough 800 years for Dover Castle. Perched on the cliffs looking out over the English Channel, it’s seen the Romans invade, the Normans attack – and the German army firing shells at it from the French coast during World War II. And as if all that wasn’t stressful enough, it’s had the weather to deal with, too.

Luckily, it’s a lot more peaceful here nowadays. In fact, if you’re looking for a crash course in English history, this is the place to do it.

Outside you’ve got one of Europe’s best-preserved Roman lighthouses, an architectural elder statesmen that’s still going strong after 1,100 years or more; and if you take trip up to the Great Tower you’ll get a glimpse of what life was like in a Medieval court.

However, it’s the tunnels that really capture the imagination (at least we think so). Back in Napoleonic times, underground barracks were built into the solid rock, with around 2,000 soldiers stationed here ready for battle.

Then in the Second World War, there were underground bunkers, a military hospital and top-secret command centre. Why not take a nose round it all while you’re here.

Don’t forget to head up to the old battlements, though, where the view’s rather splendid…