Kent: one of the few English counties to still  use a name with roots in the ancient pre-Roman  

languages that once rang out across this  island. The word Kent is derived from Kantos,  

which means 'border', a fitting name for a  place that's home to Dover Castle, a medieval  

fortress rising imperiously from the crest of  a grand hill, staring watchfully out to sea.

Dover Castle sits looking out to sea, effectively  guarding the narrowest part of the channel.  

Much of the castle that we can see today dates  from the 1180s to the early 1200s but the site  

has been occupied for much, much longer than  that as we've seen at so many of our sites. In  

some places, one has to look hard or to dig down  to find that deeper historical story but at Dover  

it's right here. In some cases that deeper story  is standing literally right in front of you,  

four stories high. This is a remarkable  lighthouse, a Pharos, and it dates to the  

first half of the second century AD. It appears  to have still been use as a lighthouse in the  

12th century, around 1000 years after it was  first built by the Romans. And the church of St  

Mary in Castro which lies directly alongside,  that might have been founded as early as the  

mid 7th century but the existing building, while  heavily restored, dates from around about 1000 AD.

But it's not all about looking into the deep  past. Dover Castle has always played a part  

in the defence of the realm and it played a part  in both world wars. The headland here is riddled  

with tunnels, many of them first dug during the  Napoleonic wars and these were used as a base  

from which to plan and execute various  operations including Operation Dynamo,  

the evacuation of troops from Dunkirk.

This unique site positively oozes history.  It's a location that has always been of central  

importance to anyone looking to reign over  England and defend their land from the south.  

The continent, filled with rulers who've often  viewed England as a prize worth fighting for,  

lies less than 21 miles away over the water.

More than 700 years ago, Dover Castle was  described as the Key of England and of course  

this place has been a key fortification throughout  its history. Taken together, the white cliffs and  

the castle have for a long time been a symbol, a  powerful symbol, of England, indeed of Britain.  

Certainly this is absolutely true during the  second world war. But in the 19th century Dover  

was once described as "historic, cliff-guarded,  castle-crowned Dover" which I think is a beautiful  

way to look at this place. The channel that  the castle looks out on is undoubtedly a  

barrier but it also has to be seen very much as  a highway. It's always been used this way and  

it still is today. As much as it separates, it's  allowed people to communicate and for as long as  

Britain has been separate from the continent  there's always been people plying the waters here  

especially as its narrowest point, and of course  that's still very much the case today when goods  

and people cross the water. If Pendennis feels  like it has a story of leave taking then Dover  

for me at least always has a very strong  sense of homecoming. For many the castle  

and the cliffs would be the first thing they  saw as they came back to England from various  

conflicts and travels. But of course for others  the castle is all about defence and defiance.

The seafaring people of England have  blessed us with a rich singing tradition  

packed with raucous shanties and sentimental  songs overflowing with longing and loss.  

A recurring theme we find is that of bloody  encounters with the supposedly treacherous French.  

These songs document clashes with England's  old enemy who'd venture out into the wild  

winds of the channel to do battle amongst  the waves. One of the finest of these songs,  

sung here for us by Mara Carlyle, is A Ship to  Old England Came. The lyrics tell the tale of  

an English vessel that encounters a fleet  of French ships in the inky black night.  

They wait until sunrise to launch into the fray,  uncertain if they'll see the sun rise again.