Dover Ferry Port in Kent |
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21x63 cm (8x25 in) £28
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The Port of Dover, backed by the famous White Cliffs, is situated in Kent in southeast England and is the UK's closest point to Continental Europe. As such, Dover has always been of importance to cross-Channel traffic. Every day of the year, frequent cross Channel ferries travel between Dover to Calais and Dunkirk in France. Dover Harbour is Northern Europe's busiest ferry port. The Dover Port complex also includes the South of England's newest cruise terminal and marina. At the eastern side of the harbour is the main passenger terminal with seven ferry berths. The companies operating out of the Eastern Docks are P & O Stena Line and Sea France. In the Western Docks are the Hoverspeed Catamaran/Fast Craft terminals, Hovercraft along with the Cruise Liner terminal and the entrance to the marina and inner harbours. The Dover Harbour Board, established in 1606, is responsible for the administration, maintenance and improvement of the Port at Dover, managing and piloting what is one of today's busiest drive-on, drive-off terminals in the world. The deep cleft in the hills formed in prehistoric times by the River Dour has always protected small ships plying across the Channel. The Romans even built a "Pharos", or lighthouse, on the cliffs on the east side of the valley. Royalty has taken a keen interest in the Port of Dover throughout centuries. Richard Coeur de Lion departed from Dover on the Third Crusade and in 1422 Henry V was brought back through Dover after his death in France. King James I gave Dover Harbour Board its Royal Charter in 1606 placing the Lord Warden and his "Board" in charge of running the port of Dover. The Port of Dover has gradually developed throughout the centuries to become the vast artificial harbour of 1050 acres it is today with depths of water up to 10.5 metres and berthing for ships up to 300 metres in length. Since WWII, further development of the port has taken place to keep pace with demand for both passenger and freight traffic. In 1978, a £12m Hoverport was opened at the Western Docks and, in 1953, Dover's first two drive-on drive-off ferry berths were opened at the Eastern Docks. This marked the end of cars and even coaches being craned on and off ferries. In the first year, Port of Dover expected to carry about 10,000 vehicles but demand was actually ten times that figure. In the last year, the Port of Dover was used by over 18 million passengers & 3 million cars, as well as over by 1.8m freight vehicles. |
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