Dover, England, United Kingdom... Part 1 of 2

My first order of business this morning was to catch some nice photos of the White Cliffs of Dover and Dover Castle as we sailed into Dover but when I got up at 0530, the ship had already arrived, and we were in a dense fog….  The White Cliffs of Dover were nowhere to be found. Our guide Gary Price was early to pick us up and we were off towards Canterbury.  Just outside of Dover we left the fog behind us to lovely sunshine. We drove through the medieval town of Lenham. Our first stop was Leeds Castle. Gary had arranged a private tour for us before the castle opened to the public. This turned out to be a great plan…we were ahead of the crowds and had the castle to ourselves. Leeds Castle is a 500-acre estate and described, as the loveliest castle in the whole world. The castle has a rich history, dating back to the 1100s. Inside and out, the Castle is stunning. Even the views from the windows are stunning. We had a private guide Christine who gave us information and time to appreciate the exquisite décor and furnishings collated by its previous owners, including the last owner, Lady Baillie. We would be pushed to find a lovelier example of a castle. I walked around the entire perimeter of the estate to capture some different angles of the castle. I took countless reflection photos which were just great!  I posted way too many of them…  sorry!  Next, we stopped in Chilham, a charming medieval village home of St. Mary’s Church, Chilham Castle and behind Chilham Castle a Norman Castle that has been occupied continuously since it was built in 1660. Leaving Chilham we stopped for lunch at the Grange Pub We parked and made our way to the Cathedral through the narrow medieval streets. Canterbury Cathedral is one of England’s oldest cathedrals and is perhaps best known as the place where Archbishop Thomas Becket was murdered by knights of King Henry II in 1170. The Cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury, the leader of the worldwide Anglican Community. Unmissable and right at the heart of Canterbury city center, this epic building is absolutely massive, its gothic towers and beautiful stained-glass windows are impressive. Intricately carved buttresses, naves and towers, the Cathedral’s Romanesque meets Gothic facade is a jaw-dropper. Dating back to the 12th Century, its foundations were laid by St Augustine. St. Augustine was sent to Canterbury by Pope Gregory to bring Christianity to Britain. Gary was our guide and offered us a fascinating insight into the cathedral’s past.  You could easily spend hours strolling around and snapping photos of the Medieval buildings and streets as you meander around. Being on a tight schedule we did see such iconic sites as at the Parrot Pub, the oldest pub in Canterbury, the picturesque River Stour and the Crooked house. Returning to Dover we could see the Dover Castle. We had a beautiful day weather wise in the low 80’s and an enjoyable time touring Kent thanks to Gary guiding skills. I highly recommend him for tours if you’re in the area, Whitecliffsofdovertours.co.uk or Horizonprivatehire.co.uk   I did go out for sail away and got some clear shots of the White Cliffs of Dover and Dover Castle…  What a wonderful day!!!