I am not one to look back or return to the same places. I am all for new horizons and exploration. Really, I am. Yet in June, I found myself back at Dover Castle, in Kent, England, for the second time in two years. And within two hours (possibly less) I realized we would probably be coming back for years.

The Sergeant Major’s House

The Sergeant Major’s House, an English Heritage property inside the walls of Dover Castle, is a little like a Jane Austen house: about 200 hundred years old, four stories, charmingly furnished. It’s romantic, yet with all mod cons. The basement is a dedicated play area with large flat screen TV, games collection and - beyond my children’s reach - ping-pong table. A private garden adds to the attraction.

Rabbits and Ramparts

One of the great things about staying at the castle is that you get the run of the place after the castle closes to the public at 5 p.m. until it opens at 9 the next morning. Nothing beats seeing your children running across the green slopes, laughing and chasing rabbits at 6:30 in the morning. Or seeing them dressed in foam knights’ helmets, waving wooden swords (from the castle store) climbing the castle towers. Even better, come evening, was sipping wine on the greens overlooking Dover, as our kids clambered over the cannons.

History

The castle is over 1,000 years old, and was frequented by Henry VIII and many other royals. There are medieval tunnels to run through, drawbridges, huge gates and cannons to climb on. The castle itself is perfect, with turrets and stone staircases to the top of the keep, where you can see for miles. More recently, during the Second World War, the dark, deep tunnels running from the castle grounds into the white cliffs of Dover were used as an operations center.

Outside the wall

Our favorite beach in the area is St Margaret’s Bay which has extensive rock pools at low tide AND a pub. The city of Canterbury is 20 minutes away, with its beautiful cathedral and cobbled streets. The Cathedral’s history includes an infamous murder that will excite your children no end. We took a beautiful walk over the White Cliffs of Dover at Langdon Cliffs next to the castle. There is a tearoom, a lighthouse, and views of Dover Harbour, the English Channel and France in the distance. Your children will love looking down on the busy harbour, with cars, truck and boats moving around like a miniature model town.

And my kids still haven’t explored half the castle. We haven’t explored the World War II secret tunnels, where Winston Churchill barked out orders. We haven’t even approached the ghost stories. And we would love to hop on the train through the Channel Tunnel to Paris for the day, or take a ferry to Calais. For all this, we will return.

Who knows? Maybe next year my kids will even be ready for ping pong.

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