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Dover Castle has the longest recorded history of any major castle in Britain and has been in continuous military occupation for over 800 years. Guardian of the Gateway to England, Dover displays a strength and determination that has obviously carried it through many troubled times. Standing atop the White Cliffs, overlooking the busy port, Dover has withstood the test of time remarkably well throughout its long, eventful history. Dover, as it stands today, dates from the rebuilding work during Henry II's reign, but the site has been of vital importance since the Iron Age. The first castle was probably an Anglo-Saxon fortress and, on the arrival of William the Conqueror, the existing fortifications were improved with the building of an earthwork castle. This Norman 'motte' (mound) which supported the castle is today known as 'Castle Hill'.
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Western Europe
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