Dover Museum is located on the Market Square in Dover, England. We visited the museum and learned a lot about the history of the area, starting even earlier than the Roman times.
But the very first display is about the Romans, specifically Emperor Claudius's invasion. Claudius landed in Richborough, only 15 miles from Dover. Apparently he brought elephants with him!
Some displays even explain how archeology was done in the area. J and L decided they wanted to be archeologists. I think they just wanted to dig in dirt a lot.
Nearby was a more interesting and fearsome display--a lion!
The middle floor of the museum has different exhibits annual. We visited in 2014, so the exhibit was about World War I (being the 100th anniversary).
Upstairs was a roomful of artifacts and explanations on Dover's history as a major port town from Roman times. After the Roman fort was abandoned, the Angles and then the Saxons expanded the town walls. The castle was built by Henry II in the 1100s to the east of town on a hill. The town grew over time.
By the 1400s, the River Dour had clogged up its natural harbor with silt and the bay to the west became the only spot ships could dock. The castle was little changed. Commerce by sea was still the big employer.
For the Elizabethan era, a local room is recreated along with other items.
The room concludes with the 20th century, including a model of the city and a World War I rifle.
Across the hall is the star exhibit, the Bronze Age Boat Gallery. The boat was discovered in 1992 during road construction. After several tests, it is thought to date back to 1500 B.C., making it 3500 years old! Only part of the boat was taken out of the ground, so the full size and shape is unknown. What remains is carefully protected behind glass and in dark light (apologies for the poor photography!).
Several surrounding displays explain various things about the boat, including what is known of the Bronze Age and how they determined the age of the boat.
Some of the exhibits are interactive and especially designed for children. L enjoyed doing the archeological puzzle of putting the boat back together. J liked using microscopes to look at the finer details of the wood.
One final display talks about discoveries at Ringlemere Henge, an ancient site in the Dover region. A gold cup was found there. Subsequent archeology has revealed it as a funerary complex. The cup is not thought to be part of the complex but dates from the time of the henge's construction.
The Dover area has a rich and diverse history that is well told at the Dover Museum.
But the very first display is about the Romans, specifically Emperor Claudius's invasion. Claudius landed in Richborough, only 15 miles from Dover. Apparently he brought elephants with him!
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| Display on Claudius's invasion |
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| J hangs out with a local and a Roman |
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| Roman statue, maybe Venus? |
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| Roman artifacts |
Some displays even explain how archeology was done in the area. J and L decided they wanted to be archeologists. I think they just wanted to dig in dirt a lot.
 |
| Archeology in action |
Nearby was a more interesting and fearsome display--a lion!
 |
| A lion! (and me, reflected) |
The middle floor of the museum has different exhibits annual. We visited in 2014, so the exhibit was about World War I (being the 100th anniversary).
 |
| Ships from WWI |
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| Vickers machine gun |
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| Documents and medals from WWI |
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| An army uniform |
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| Typical bomb from WWI |
Upstairs was a roomful of artifacts and explanations on Dover's history as a major port town from Roman times. After the Roman fort was abandoned, the Angles and then the Saxons expanded the town walls. The castle was built by Henry II in the 1100s to the east of town on a hill. The town grew over time.
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| Dover circa 1450 |
By the 1400s, the River Dour had clogged up its natural harbor with silt and the bay to the west became the only spot ships could dock. The castle was little changed. Commerce by sea was still the big employer.
 |
| Items from the 1400s |
For the Elizabethan era, a local room is recreated along with other items.
 |
| Elizabethan-style room |
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| Instruments from a ship back then |
The room concludes with the 20th century, including a model of the city and a World War I rifle.
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| Dover in the 1900s |
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| World War I rifle |
Across the hall is the star exhibit, the Bronze Age Boat Gallery. The boat was discovered in 1992 during road construction. After several tests, it is thought to date back to 1500 B.C., making it 3500 years old! Only part of the boat was taken out of the ground, so the full size and shape is unknown. What remains is carefully protected behind glass and in dark light (apologies for the poor photography!).
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| Bronze Age Boat |
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| View down the length (?) of the boat |
Several surrounding displays explain various things about the boat, including what is known of the Bronze Age and how they determined the age of the boat.
 |
| Recreation of a Bronze Age home |
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| Contemporary artifacts |
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| Speculative recreation of the boat (in part) |
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| Scientific ways to figure out how old the boat is |
Some of the exhibits are interactive and especially designed for children. L enjoyed doing the archeological puzzle of putting the boat back together. J liked using microscopes to look at the finer details of the wood.
 |
| L rebuilds the boat |
One final display talks about discoveries at Ringlemere Henge, an ancient site in the Dover region. A gold cup was found there. Subsequent archeology has revealed it as a funerary complex. The cup is not thought to be part of the complex but dates from the time of the henge's construction.
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| Ringlemere Henge |
The Dover area has a rich and diverse history that is well told at the Dover Museum.
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