Dover Web

Many Brit’s, especially of the older generation, know the song well:

There’ll be blue birds over

The white cliffs of Dover,

Tomorrow, just you wait and see.

There’ll be love and laughter

And peace ever after

Tomorrow, when the world is free.

The shepherd will tend his sheep,

The valley will bloom again

And Jimmy will go to sleep,

In his own little room again.

There’ll be blue birds over

The white cliffs of Dover,

Tomorrow, just you wait and see.

One trip to the White Cliffs is all that is required to make you see why they are viewed so lovingly. They remind us of an easier, more tranquil lifestyle. The White Cliffs of Dover create part of the British coastline, the part which faces the Strait of Dover as well as France, the point in the UK that is nearest to the continent.  These cliffs are technically a portion of the North Downs formation.

The White Cliffs cliff face reaches up 100 metres in height.  Its striking facade is result of its chalk composition, which is also accented by black-flint streaks.  The cliffs spread west and east from Dover, which has always been, and remains, an essential English port.

Part of the Cliffs’ symbolic value for Brits is due their facing Continental Europe across the English Channel’s narrowest part.  In this area, throughout history, invasions have either occurred or been threatened.  But, also historically, the Cliffs have served as a significant guard.  Another symbolic value for us Brits is due to the fact that, as you approach the UK by sea or air, the White Cliffs form the gateway to the country as if standing guard.

The White Cliffs are found along the coast and mark the area where England comes nearest to Continental Europe. You can see the Cliffs easily on a clear day from the coast of France.

Scientists trace the origins of the Cliffs back 136 million years, to the Cretaceous Period.

The Cliffs are made up mostly of coccoliths. The chalk effect on the Cliffs is due to the skeletons of sponges, coral and other sea creatures falling as sediment and accumulating on the floor of the ocean.  After millions of years, this began forming silica-specked chalk on huge areas between the Baltic Sea and Britain.

Also of interest is the fact that behind the Cliffs’ face there are several miles of hidden tunnels which were created and used in the Middle Ages. These also played a part later in defending Britain at the time of the Napoleonic Wars.