Dover Harbour has four lighthouses guarding one of the busiest ferry ports in the world. It is the nearest port to France, which is just over 20 miles across the English Channel.
Dover Castle, with its Roman Pharos lighthouse, overlooks the harbour from the clifftop. South Foreland Lighthouse is visible just along the coastline at the top of the White Cliffs.
The Port of Dover is divided into two docks. The Eastern Docks serve cross-channel ferries, and the Western Docks have a cruise terminal, a marina for yachts, and a cargo facility.
Admiralty Pier Lighthouse is located on the western arm of the harbour. The lighthouse is a lattice tower with port control entry lights.
The hovercraft and high-speed Seacat ferries formerly used Admiralty Pier.
The lighthouse, built in 1908, has a cast-iron tower that replaced an earlier light built in 1876. It is at the end of the pier, which encloses the western side of the harbour.
The Southern Breakwater was designed by Coode, Son and Matthews and built between 1898 and 1909 to protect the harbour and provide a refuge for the British fleet. It is constructed of large granite blocks. During both the First and Second World Wars, it formed part of the port’s defences. Gun and searchlight emplacements, barracks, and magazines were housed within the breakwater.
During the Second World War, the harbour entrance was blocked by scuttled ships to prevent enemy ships from entering. Most of the debris was cleared during the 1950s and 1960s, but deepwater hazards remain.
A cardinal buoy marks the safe water channel.
There are two lighthouses located on the South Breakwater.
The West Head Lighthouse marks the western entrance of Dover Harbour.
The lighthouse at the end of the Southern Breakwater was built in 1909. It is a cast-iron lighthouse, and together with the Admiralty Pier, it guards the entrance to Dover Harbour.
The Knuckle Lighthouse is at the eastern end of the Southern Breakwater, on the outer wall. It displays a white light outside the harbour and a red light inside the harbour.
Port lights are on the eastern entrance for the roll-on-roll-off ferries at the Eastern Docks. The Port Control building is close to the end of the eastern arm.
The Prince of Wales Pier Lighthouse was built in 1902 and is at the end of the pier separating the outer and inner harbours. It is the only one of the Dover Harbour lighthouses made of stone.
A cast-iron pier connected it to the land, and ships could berth alongside. The pier was named after Edward VII, who, as Prince of Wales, laid the foundation stone in 1892. The pier opened in 1902, and a railway track was laid in 1905.
The cast-iron section was filled with concrete in 1978 as part of the Western Docks Hoverport.
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