Video Podcasts of Dover

Part 3: North Centre Bastion, Western Heights, Dover, Kent, UK

John Latter — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 18:20:09 GMT

The third of three videos of the Detached Bastion/North Centre Bastion (aka, "The Smokey", "Dead Man's Island") which form part of Dover's Napoleonic defenses embedded into the Western Heights.

Part 3 (Revised) includes:

The second drawbridge and passageway to the North Centre Bastion; the third drawbridge; south-western gallery and steps; the devil's tunnel and cave-in; gun rooms; south-eastern steps and galleries; magazines; wells and shaft; cave spider; pigeon.

The videos were made in the Summer of 2009 (nb Dead Man's Island is also where the original ghost or paranormal images were taken in 2007 - and blue orb photos, too).

This video was originally posted on YouTube in three parts: Part 1: Dead Man's Island, North Centre Bastion; Part 2: Dead Man's Island, North Centre Bastion; Part 3: Dead Man's Island, North Centre Bastion.

Click to see other still photos of the North Centre Bastion.

More info:

The Western Heights fortifications occupy an area whose maximum dimensions are 1500 x 600 yards. In addition to the North Entrance and North Centre Bastion, other components include the Drop Redoubt, the Grand Shaft, and the Outer Bastion.

Also see St Martin's Battery and the Knights Templar church ruins.

John Latter / Jorolat

Images Of Dover | Videos of Dover | Dover Blog: The Psychology of a Small Town

Part 2: Dead Man's Island and the North Centre Bastion, Western Heights, Dover, Kent, UK

John Latter — Sun, 09 May 2010 19:08:19 GMT

The second of three videos of the North Centre Bastion and its associated Detached Bastion (aka, "The Smokey", "Dead Man's Island") which form part of the Napoleonic and Victorian defences embedded into the Western Heights above the town of Dover, Kent, UK.

Part 2 consists of:

Arriving on the surface of the island; a panned view from on top of the Main Magazine identifying a number of features; the interior rooms of the Main Magazine; the steps leading down to the eastern gallery ('tunnel 2', or second tunnel); a long shot of the northern end of tunnel 2; exploring the southern end of tunnel 2 and the unusual features found there*; the surface Magazine and its probable method of lighting; the southern 'hanging' moat; surface ramp to the 2nd drawbridge; the 1st drawbridge again ('disaster drawbridge') and a view of the southern end of the western gallery.

Part 2 ends at the junction of the Detached Bastion and the covered passage joining it to the main part of the North Centre Bastion (just past the 2nd drawbridge).

*My torch was fading at this point so I shot it again and have put it at the front of Part 3.

The videos were made in the Summer of 2009 (nb Dead Man's Island is also where the original ghost or paranormal images were taken in 2007 - and blue orb photos, too).

Click to see other still photos of the North Centre Bastion.

More info:

Also see St Martin's Battery and the Knights Templar church ruins.

John Latter / Jorolat

Images Of Dover | Videos of Dover | Dover Blog: The Psychology of a Small Town

Part 1: Dead Man's Island and the North Centre Bastion, Western Heights, Dover, Kent, UK

John Latter — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 18:18:04 GMT

The first of three videos of the North Centre Bastion and its associated Detached Bastion (aka, "The Smokey", "Dead Man's Island") which form part of the Napoleonic and Victorian defences embedded into the Western Heights above the town of Dover, Kent, UK.

Part 1 consists of:

External scenes of the Caponier (a huge two-storey chamber projecting into the moat system) and the north face of the Detached Bastion.

Internal (ie underground) scenes of: the Caponnier from both floors; the Magazine and how the ventilation system works; the 3-room Upper Gallery; northern end of the Western Gallery ('first tunnel') up to and including the First Drawbridge.

Part 1 ends at the top of the steps leading onto the surface of the Detached Bastion (the 'island' proper).

The videos were made in the Summer of 2009 (nb Dead Man's Island is also where the original ghost or paranormal images were taken in 2007 - and blue orb photos, too).

Click to see other still photos of the North Centre Bastion.

More info:

Also see St Martin's Battery and the Knights Templar church ruins.

John Latter / Jorolat

Images Of Dover | Videos of Dover | Dover Blog: The Psychology of a Small Town

The Moats of Dead Man's Island in Winter, Western Heights, Dover, UK

John Latter — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 14:27:44 GMT

Slideshow: A walk around the snow-covered floor of the moats connecting the North Centre Bastion, Detached Bastion ("Dead Man's Island"), and North Entrance of the Napoleonic and Victorian defence system embedded into the Western Heights above the town of Dover, Kent, UK.

The photos were taken on Thursday, February 11th, 2010, and the only footsteps you see are mine :)

Click to see other still photos of the North Entrance and the North Centre Bastion

More info:

Also see St Martin's Battery and the Knights Templar church ruins.

John Latter / Jorolat

Images Of Dover | Videos of Dover | Dover Blog: The Psychology of a Small Town

Part 2: The Napoleonic and Victorian North Entrance, Western Heights, Dover, Kent, UK

John Latter — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 16:49:48 GMT

The 'North Entrance' to Dover's Napoleonic defences embedded into the Western Heights consists of two bridge/drawbridge combinations and a 60-yard long Road Tunnel.

Only the 'ribs' of the bridges are left and the tunnel, whose surface is made from wooden blocks to prevent sparks, is blocked at both ends.

This video was originally posted on YouTube in two parts: North Entrance (Part 1); North Entrance (Part 2)

This video podcast of Part 2 has an opening scene of the Second World War Pillbox to the east of the North Entrance which was shown at the end of Part 1.

The next sequence shows the top of the old North Military Road ("Military Hill"), the Outer Bridge, and the 150 x 20 yard brick-faced outwork known as a "Tenaille".

From inside the moats: the Entry Point to the Moat System itself and then shots of the Underside of the Outer Bridge, the pillbox again, the Underside of the Inner Bridge, the beams of the road tunnel drawbridge, and gunrooms.

From on top of the tenaille: the inner bridge, the 's-shaped' road, the outer bridge; the east end of the tenaille and then the west end, showing the Southern Wall of the Detached Bastion (Dead Man's Island, The Smokey; part of the North Centre Bastion).

A few seconds of me (sorry about that!) and then a final sequence of the outer bridge and the top of the old North Military Road. [Army, History, Geography]

Click to see other still photos of the North Entrance.

Dover is in the county of Kent in England (UK).

John Latter / Jorolat

Images Of Dover | Videos of Dover | Dover Blog: The Psychology of a Small Town

Part 1: The Napoleonic and Victorian North Entrance, Western Heights, Dover, Kent, UK

John Latter — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 19:47:47 GMT

The 'North Entrance' to Dover's Napoleonic defences embedded into the Western Heights consists of two bridge/drawbridge combinations and a 60-yard long road tunnel.

Only the 'ribs' of the bridges are left and the tunnel, whose surface is made from wooden blocks to prevent sparks, is blocked at both ends.

This video was originally posted on YouTube in two parts: North Entrance (Part 1); North Entrance (Part 2)

This is a podcast of Part 1 which has opening scenes of Dover Castle and the Drop Redoubt and then moves to a shot of where the original North Military Road ('Military Hill') diverges from the bypass that now cuts through the moats.

The next sequence is taken at the closed end of the tunnel and gives information about the underground water reservoirs, the 'roundabout', and various other features.

The route of the Road Tunnel is then traced out on the surface and a shot shown (from above) of the vertical beams of the Inner Drawbridge.

The final sequences are of a Second World War (World War Two) Pillbox overlooking the two bridges, except you can't see them because of the vegetation!

UPDATE: In the commentary, I infer the Steel Cables above the road tunnel were used to operate the drawbridge. In fact, they are Anti-Submarine Nets, but I've no idea at the moment what they are doing there.

Click to see other still photos of the North Entrance.

Dover is in the county of Kent, England.

John Latter / Jorolat

Images Of Dover | Videos of Dover | Dover Blog: The Psychology of a Small Town

Cowgate Cemetery Nature Reserve, Western Heights, Dover, Kent, UK

John Latter — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 21:53:08 GMT

Abridged extracts from the plaque just inside the main (northern) entrance of the Victorian Cowgate Cemetery:

Dover's Cowgate Cemetery is named after the medieval gate which allowed townspeople to graze their animals on the lower slopes of the Western Heights.

The land, over two acres in extent, was donated by William Mowll and consecrated in 1835 by the Archbishop of Canterbury as an extension to the Parish churchyard.

The layout of the cemetery is attributed to Stephen Geary, the architect who designed London's Highgate Cemetery.

In 1990 the Wildlife Conservation Community Program (WCCP) discovered a small population of the Garden Dormouse (Eliomys quercinus) living in the cemetery.

The Garden Dormouse is not 'officially' recorded as living in Britain.

Click to see the original page of the 'Mystery Vault' photograph (with the empty coffin) which is referred to in this video podcast.

Cowgate Cemetery is now considered to be a nature reserve.

John Latter / Jorolat

Images Of Dover | Videos of Dover | Dover Blog: The Psychology of a Small Town