:: Introduction
One of the most popular tourist attractions in the South East, is this 12th century castle, built originally to protect the country from invasion by marauding pirates and later Napoleon's army, but it is best know these days for its 'secret' underground command centre, used extensivly during WWII and often visited by Winston Churchill, when Prime Minister.
In 1991 an American couple were upset by the sound of screams and moans that they heard when in St. Johns Tower. It is here that some of the inexplicable incidents occur with the sound of a large and heavy wooden door being slammed shut being the most noticeable and frequently experienced.
Part of the organised investigation was shown sometime shortly after 1991 a mini-documentary on Meridian Television, in which a massive pair of wooden doors were seen to be shaken by some invisible force for several seconds, accompained by Dr. Cherry's calling out "I think we've got that. It's incredible!" At the same time a shadowy figure was seen moving silently up a nearby stairway.
There has been a castle at Dover since the defences of an Anglo-Saxon fortress were strengthened by William of Normandy, who built the first earthwork castle in 1066 before moving on to London. Under Henry II, the castle was rebuilt, including the monumental keep - constructed in the 1180s by Henry's great architect, Maurice the Engineer - which stands at the heart of a concentric ring of defences. No fortress in England boasts a longer history than Dover Castle. Commanding the shortest sea crossing between England and the continent, the site has served as a vital strategic centre since the Iron Age.
:: The Secret War-Time Tunnels
The White Cliffs are among England's most celebrated sights, yet hidden inside them is a fascinating and secret world. Deep underground lies an extensive network of tunnels - first dug during the Napoleonic Wars, but so strategically useful that they continued to be used right through the 20th century.
At 18:57 hours on 26 May 1940, the signal was received to start Operation Dynamo - the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force and French troops from Dunkirk's beaches on the northern coast of France. The network of underground tunnels beneath Dover Castle became the nerve centre of the whole operation. The best estimate was that only 45,000 of the troops could be brought back, yet Winston Churchill announced to the House of Commons on 4 June that 338,000 troops had been saved, despite the operation itself coming under attack.
:: The Headless Drummer
The drummer boy of Dover, Sean Flynn, just fifteen years old, haunts Dover Castle. His headless ghost beats its drum as it moves around the battlements at night. According to the legend, Sean arrived at Dover very late one dark night with his drum, supposedly on an errand involving a large sum of money. Two soldiers heard about his mission and decided to take advantage of the boy and relieve him of the funds he carried. They lay in wait for him as he marched along with his drum and although he tried to escape, he was no match for two desperate, greedy soldiers. One took out his sword and with an enormous swipe, severed his head from his body. The poor young boy lay dead at the foot of the castle wall.
Recently there have been several reports of drumming noises coming from the battlements, while some visitors, including the Medium Derek Acorah, claim to have seen the headless figure walking along them at night. Derek was part of a television documentary which visited the castle and he claimed to receive messages from Sean, saying he missed his mother. Derek Acorah claimed he would try to help Sean, so his ghost is now safely at rest. |
