Night Panorama of the Ferry Terminal and Eastern Docks of Dover Harbour, Kent, UK

This panoramic night view of Space City in Dover Harbour (see a larger size) was taken on Wednesday, 19th of January, 2011, from the cliff-edge south of Dover Coastguard Station overlooking the Straits of Dover and English Channel beyond. The MS Spirit of Britain berthed in the Eastern Docks at Night photo (P&O Ferries' new super-ferry) was also taken at this time.

The row of lights at top-right are buildings on the Western Heights, location of Dover's hidden Napoleonic and Victorian, "Forgotten Fortress" and the even more secret, "Lost Castle of the Court`s Folly". The more well-known 12th Century Dover Castle is out-of-shot to the right on this side of the River Dour valley.

It was from the Victorian gun position of St Martin`s Battery on the Western Heights that the Space City and the Jubilee Way at Night view of the Eastern Docks was taken in 2010.

The brightest light near top-left stands above the Cruise Terminal 1 building on the Admiralty Pier of the Western Docks (night view). To the right of the light is the squat white building of Lord Warden House, ex-Lord Warden Hotel and Second World War shore station, HMS Wasp.

Below the Admiralty Pier is the Prince of Wales Pier and long narrow loop of Dover Bay (the Outer Harbour, ex-Admiralty Harbour), above the beach and seafront areas of which are the Clock Tower, Waterloo Crescent, masts of boats and yachts in the Tidal Harbour and Wellington Dock, and the Gateway Flats.

The Eastern Docks and Ferry Port (1) occupy the bottom two-thirds of the photo with the actual cross-channel car and freight terminals out-of-shot to the left (as is the Eastern Arm pier, which once bounded the Camber).

Various roads, some with light trails, surround the darkened square office block just below the centre of the photo: The Fan, North Exit Road, North Return Road, Dock Exit Road (etc.).

Above and to the right of the office block is the multi-storey car park atop the Booking Hall (Arrivals Hall, Reception Hall).

Above the Booking Hall the Jubilee Way A2 Bypass (2) sweeps down from a low-point in the White Cliffs of Dover (dimly visible down the left-hand edge) called Broadlees Bottom, turns back on itself over the Ferry Port, and then 'touches down' at a roundabout near the docks entrance where it is joined by the A20.

The A20 runs parallel to the seafront after entering the town from behind Shakespeare Cliff and meets the roundabout below Athol Terrace after passing the houses of East Cliff (Marine Parade).

Charles Lightoller lived at 8 East Cliff after joining the Royal Navy's Dover Patrol in 1916. He was the second mate and senior surviving officer of the 1912 RMS Titanic iceberg disaster.

The Eastern Docks didn't receive its name until 1948. In Lightoller's time during the First World War, this area of Dover Harbour was "H.M. Dockyard, East Cliff" and was used for the dismantling of ships. In 1920 the Stanlee Shipbreaking & Salvage Co. Ltd. took over as commercial ship breakers and the following year they broke-up the battleship, HMS St. Vincent (3):

HMS St. Vincent was the lead ship of the St. Vincent class battleships of the British Royal Navy.

She was commissioned on 3 May 1910 as 2nd flagship of 1st Division Home Fleet at Portsmouth. She was commanded by Capt. Douglas R. L. Nicholson and was flagship of Rear-Admiral Richard H. Peirse, M.V.O., Home Fleet, at the Coronation Spithead Review of 24 June 1911.

In April 1914, she became flagship of the Second-in-Command, 1st Battle Squadron Home Fleet, which she remained until November 1915, when she became a private ship. She was in the 5th Division of the battlefleet (Grand Fleet) at the Battle of Jutland, 20th in the line of battle, and engaged a German battleship believed to have been of the Konig class (König class).

In June 1916, she was transferred to the 4th Battle Squadron. In March 1919, she was reduced to reserve and became a gunnery training ship, which she remained until placed on the Disposal list in March 1921. She was sold for scrap in 1921.

Click to see all Panorama of Dover photos.

Click to see all Ferry photos; related tags: Boats, Cruise Ships, Lifeboats, Navy, Sailing Ships, Ships, Tug, Workboats.

(1) For passenger information and contact details for travelling to and from the Port, and facilities of the Ferry Terminal, download the Dover Ferry Port Passenger Guide, a pdf file from Port of Dover (the official website of the Dover Harbour Board).

Currently, P and O Ferries, Seafrance, and DFDS Seaways (Norfolk Line, Norfolkline) operate from Dover. Photos uploaded in 2011 include:

Spirit of Britain

Seafrance Berlioz

(2) Wikipedia entry for A2 road (Great Britain):

The A2 is a major road in southern England, connecting London with the English Channel port of Dover in Kent. This route has always been of importance as a connection between the British capital of London and sea trade routes to Continental Europe. It was formerly known as the Dover Road.

The original A2 roughly followed the route of a Celtic ancient trackway which the Romans later paved and identified as Iter III on the Antonine Itinerary. The Anglo-Saxons named it Wæcelinga Stræt (Waecelinga Straet) which developed into the modern Watling Street. It was one of the most important Roman roads in Britain, since it linked London with Canterbury, and from there to three Channel ports: Richborough (Rutupiae); Dover (Dubris) and Lympne (Lemanis).

(3) Dover Museum webpage: Shipbreakers Yard, Eastern Docks

(4) Wikipedia entry for HMS St. Vincent

John Latter / Jorolat

Dover Blog: The Psychology of a Small Town

This is the Images of Dover website: click on any red or blue "John Latter" link to access the Entry Page.

cool !!!!

♥ Like

greetings from Poland , Peter ♥

dziwnowik, on March 16th, 2011, said:

cool !!!!

Like

greetings from Poland , Peter

Thank you, Peter - Greetings from Dover, England!

I used to work in that tower and often parked on the flight deck.. I thought this place was closed at night, I have often thought of going up there at night.

Anthony Ciantar, on June 18th, 2011, said:

I used to work in that tower and often parked on the flight deck.. I thought this place was closed at night, I have often thought of going up there at night.

The National Trust Langdon Cliffs area is closed to vehicles, Anthony, but not to pushbikes (which is all I have!)

I think its well worth visiting at night and I intend going again, its just I have a backlog of photos to upload at the moment.

I'm definitely going within the next few months, though - the photo on this page was taken in January and it was pretty c-c-c-old! ( I was there to take a shot of the Spirit of Britain ferry, which I got the following night).

well, they say you have to suffer for your art. cold weather does give crisp photos.

A photo of HMS St Vincent now appears on the Pinterest Old Dover board at:

HMS St Vincent at the 1911 King George V Coronation Fleet Review, Spithead, Hampshire

This photo also appears on the Pinterest Dover Harbour board as:

Night Panorama of the Ferry Terminal and Eastern Docks of Dover Harbour, England

Also see:

Entrance to Ferry Terminal, Eastern Docks, Dover Harbour, England

Also see:

Light Trails on the Limekiln Roundabout at Night, Dover, United Kingdom

Also see:

Rain at Dawn for Space City, White Cliffs of Dover, England, United Kingdom

And:

The Light Towers of Space City at Night, Dover Harbour, United Kingdom

Also see:

The Skies above Dover Harbour before Sunrise, Kent, England, United Kingdom

Also see:

The Pastel Shades of Space City at Daybreak, Dover Harbour, United Kingdom