Dover - looking really bad
Discussion
I grew up there.
I still have family there and visit fairly regularly.
It's a hole.
It was a hole many years ago when I was growing up. Then it got worse.
The castle is magnificent. The local museum is pretty good. I've a soft spot for the sea front, but that's all rose tinted in my case.
Pretty much everything else is naff.
I still have family there and visit fairly regularly.
It's a hole.
It was a hole many years ago when I was growing up. Then it got worse.
The castle is magnificent. The local museum is pretty good. I've a soft spot for the sea front, but that's all rose tinted in my case.
Pretty much everything else is naff.
We took a holiday in Dover a few years ago; stayed in one of the old houses actually inside the castle - it's brilliant, you get your own gate-keeper, able to roam the grounds once all the tourists have gone and have dinner overlooking the town. Thoroughly recommend it.
Kept away from the town most of the time though - day trip to France, visit to nearby vineyards etc was much more interesting . . .
Kept away from the town most of the time though - day trip to France, visit to nearby vineyards etc was much more interesting . . .
Last time I was there was October, and they had some major roadworks going on on the route into the ferry terminal.
What I don't understand is why its so bloody awful to drive OUT of the ferry port to join the motorway. So many roundabouts and giving priority to "local" traffic when, IMO, the "local" traffic should be kept separate from all us tourists who just want to get through and onto the A20 as quickly as possible.
For the small number of locals, they could have their own exit (which they would know about I am sure) and their current road system, just put the rest of us onto a big bridge or similar.
What I don't understand is why its so bloody awful to drive OUT of the ferry port to join the motorway. So many roundabouts and giving priority to "local" traffic when, IMO, the "local" traffic should be kept separate from all us tourists who just want to get through and onto the A20 as quickly as possible.
For the small number of locals, they could have their own exit (which they would know about I am sure) and their current road system, just put the rest of us onto a big bridge or similar.
generationx said:
I always use the tunnel (+20 crossings per year). Always.
One trip on the ferry was enough to convince me that (a) life is too short and (b) the extra expense is nothing compared to being in a floating butlins for 2 hours.
I prefer to pay a little extra for priority loading and use of the club lounges on ferries with complimentary champagne, coffee and newspapers brought to my comfortable arm chair with, next door, waitress service at a table with linen table clothes. One trip on the ferry was enough to convince me that (a) life is too short and (b) the extra expense is nothing compared to being in a floating butlins for 2 hours.
Never stopped in Dover but have stopped in Folkestone. Me and a mate went to a car show and this hotel in Folkestone was the cheapest nearish place to the show (35 quid for a twin room)
Honestly the hotel and the area was the shoddiest empty sorry place I'd seen! Felt like we stood out like a sore thumb walking down the pretty boarded up high street!
Honestly the hotel and the area was the shoddiest empty sorry place I'd seen! Felt like we stood out like a sore thumb walking down the pretty boarded up high street!
I live in the next town ,Deal .
In the recent past my town has been in the top 20 seaside towns ,voted high st of the year and scored highly in English towns to visit.
Dover is 8 miles away and it is a sh#thole .
We have said for years that it is the gateway to the UK but there is nothing to hold visitors to the area ,what visitors off the cruise ships that dock in the harbour make of the place is a mystery..
In the recent past my town has been in the top 20 seaside towns ,voted high st of the year and scored highly in English towns to visit.
Dover is 8 miles away and it is a sh#thole .
We have said for years that it is the gateway to the UK but there is nothing to hold visitors to the area ,what visitors off the cruise ships that dock in the harbour make of the place is a mystery..
I like the castle...
Shame the county hotel is no more. Love the reviews. Bad as it looked!
https://www.holidaywatchdog.com/22894-Dover-County...
Shame the county hotel is no more. Love the reviews. Bad as it looked!
https://www.holidaywatchdog.com/22894-Dover-County...
generationx said:
I always use the tunnel (+20 crossings per year). Always.
One trip on the ferry was enough to convince me that (a) life is too short and (b) the extra expense is nothing compared to being in a floating butlins for 2 hours.
Last time I used the ferry I justified it by saving enough money for a half decent meal in France and getting an hours sleep before the drive to the Dordogne, traveling alone I didn't get any sleep for fear of being robbed and I've gone hungry ever since , tunnel every time , it saves at least 20 mins drive this side and ten mins on France side if your heading south , plus the hour on the crossing . One trip on the ferry was enough to convince me that (a) life is too short and (b) the extra expense is nothing compared to being in a floating butlins for 2 hours.
Spent my younger years(up until 17yo) living in Folkestone. Me and my friends used to cycle to Dover a lot to use the skate park. Dover was a s
t hole 20 years ago. Folkestone is/was even worse. Nice walk or cycle over the cliffs though. There was a nudist beach there back then. fking awesome when I was 14/15!
There were pill boxes on the cliffs too(are they still there) which we used to mess about in pretend to shoot the French from. even they were full of piss, white lightening bottles, tin foil and needles though. I doubt that has changed.
t hole 20 years ago. Folkestone is/was even worse. Nice walk or cycle over the cliffs though. There was a nudist beach there back then. fking awesome when I was 14/15!There were pill boxes on the cliffs too(are they still there) which we used to mess about in pretend to shoot the French from.
even they were full of piss, white lightening bottles, tin foil and needles though. I doubt that has changed.havoc said:
si_xsi said:
What's the solution?
Nuke it from orbit? 
Can remember travelling through to the port since the mid 90's and it never looked the most inviting place sadly - perhaps the difficulty of having constant heavy traffic through the main part of the town through various roundabouts.
Dover town centre has always been a st tip. However, that massive block of concrete called a hotel has been knocked down. In fact the whole area around it has been bulldozed and a massive redevelopment in place. They're going to tidy up the area at massive expense apparently. Surrounding areas just minutes away are lovely.
https://www.stjamesdover.co.uk
t tip. However, that massive block of concrete called a hotel has been knocked down. In fact the whole area around it has been bulldozed and a massive redevelopment in place. They're going to tidy up the area at massive expense apparently. Surrounding areas just minutes away are lovely.https://www.stjamesdover.co.uk
Royce44 said:
the whole east coast of kent has declined dramatically tbh. I live north west kent and the difference is amazing. Its a london commuting thing.
I was going to post the same. You would think that a coastal town in the South East would be very expensive and popular, but they are generally stholes.About 5 years ago i bought a studio flat in folkestone for 25k, and then a 1 bed place for 26k. The studio was about 100yards from the beach. I ended up selling them because of the general tone of the area, and the tenants you could get.
Its not just about the commute as well, Folkestone has a high speed train service to london, and of course the link into europe. Parts of folkestone are nice, but some parts are terrible.
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