…of Dover Castle.
The great tower was the last and most elaborate in the tradition of huge rectangular royal great towers, begun in England in the previous century with The Tower of London and Colchester:
The great tower of Dover Castle is the last and grandest of the keeps built by the kings of England in the 11th and 12th centuries. It was built in 1180-85 by Henry II (r. 1154-89) to provide a palatial setting in which he could welcome visitors to England, in particular those coming on pilgrimage to the new shrine at Canterbury of St Thomas Becket, who was murdered by four of Henry’s knights against the king’s wished in 1170. The great tower may look like a defensive building but it was a palace, designed for royal ceremony and to house Henry’s household with its various departments on their occasional, brief visits.*
English Heritage have recently redecorated the tower to show how it might have looked like inside the tower when it was newly completed and ready to receive an important visitor.
*From the guide book.
It’s been so long since I was there. It is the highlight of a hideous town
The castle fascinates me and I still haven’t seen everything I want to see there. I have to agree with you about the town though.
The upper pic reminds me a bit of St Malo.
The coastal walled towns do a have a similar feel to them.