A comparison of the how the source booklet provided and my visit to Dover Castle affects my overall interpretation

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Reece Buckle

Dover Castle is clearly atypical when compared to other castles, mainly because of its continual use into the 20th century, and its use of tunnels. Source 5 shows the underground tunnels being used for a headquarters to track enemy ship movements during WW2. This suggests that the Castle was still used for military purposes up into the 20th Century. Both my visit and this source are useful here. However, the visit only allowed me to see the size and extent of the tunnels in person, whereas the source allowed me to see the headquarters being in use. This is more reliable to me, when supporting my idea of Dover Castle's use into the 20th century. Because this photograph is of the actual event, I’d say it's reliable as well.

When visiting Dover Castle, I also noticed that the keep was another important feature of this site. There’s evidence showing that the walls and roofing had been repaired over time, specifically to support AA (Anti-Aircraft) guns. This backs up the idea of its geographical location supporting its military use up into WW2/20th century. Source 8 also states that in 1899, "Dover castle started to develop other uses as a 'headquarters of the south eastern military district." Compared to my visit, I’d say this source provided is more useful, due to giving a precise date, '1899'. And that Dover Castle also supported a local hospital, which I didn't see in my visit.

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From my visit, I also learned that the Saxon church, described as the heart of Dover Castle, was one of the first buildings present before Dover Castle was erected. This suggests that religion (a key feature) could have had an historical influence on the location of Dover Castle today. This location may also have been chosen because Dover was the first place in England where the Saxons landed. So they decided to build the Saxon church (a religious monument) for a tribute to the Gods.

I also noticed on my visit that Dover Castle geology consists of ...

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