Battle of Britain Experience, White Cliffs of Dover & Canterbury
Description
Would you like a small high quality, private tour of Britain's three most iconic and inspirational sites in the South East with an expert local guide? Dr Anthony Medhurst will escort up to 7 people in a comfortable air conditioned vehicle to the evocative White Cliffs of Dover; the historic city of Canterbury and its UNESCO World Heritage-listed Cathedral; and WW2 Battle of Britain sites which tell the compelling story of how the country was saved from Nazi invasion by the Spitfire and Hurricane pilots of the RAF. Here you will obtain unsurpassed views of locations over which the Battle was fought; re-live the sights and sounds of an original fighter station and an original, unchanged, pub once frequented by aircrew in 1940. Here you can enjoy a drink and re-live the precious few hours of respite for those who survived the day's fighting. Finally you will gain an expert insight into the perilous position faced by Britain and its pilots as the country stood alone in the summer of 1940.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Your guide will meet you at the entrance to Canterbury West station. You will be driven from Canterbury through scenic Kent countryside to the White Cliffs at Dover's Western Heights. This journey should take no longer than 30 minutes. This superb vantage point provides outstanding views of Dover Castle and harbour, the English Channel and on a clear day the nearby coastline of France. This is the ideal location in which to take photographs and experience this iconic landmark, as well as appreciate the proximity and immediacy of the threat of invasion from Nazi forces in 1940. This discreet location which is inaccessible to large tour groups, also enables guests to view three original gun emplacements and machine gun post built in 1940 as part of Britain's coastal defences.
You will be driven for 15 minutes to Capel-le-Ferne to view the iconic, cliff top Battle of Britain Memorial with its uninterrupted views over English Channel. Here you will be able to view the Memorial Wall which records the names of all those aircrew known to have flown at least one sortie with an accredited squadron or unit of the Royal Air Force during the Battle of Britain, including those who survived the war. Names are listed in alphabetical order, without rank or decoration, highlighting the fact that every one of the Few contributed to the RAF’s victory. You will also view the focal point of the site - the evocative statue of a fighter pilot overlooking the English Channel - who wears an Irvin jacket to disguise his rank, nationality and whether he was an ace or a pilot lost on his first sortie. Replicas of a Spitfire, Hurricane and Stuka are on show. An impressive shop is also available for books and souvenirs. A cafe offers refreshments and commanding views over the sea.
You will be driven for 15 minutes from Capel-le-Ferne to the Battle of Britain museum at Hawkinge (or Manston if visiting between November to February) which occupies the site of the former Fighter Command aerodrome. Several of the original buildings remain and are accessible to the public including the original Watch Office, The museum contains the largest private collection of Battle of Britain artefacts in the world, much of which were uncovered by aviation archaeologists in the 1970s and 80s. Visitors can view the remains of countless Spitfires and Hurricanes, as well as personal artefacts from the pilots themselves, which flew in the Battle of Britain and were shot down or crashed in Kent. Your expert guide will explain outline the experience of fighter pilots in action - waiting to be scrambled, being in combat, the skills needed to survive, how they tried to cope and carry on - and tell the stories of a number of pilots whose effects can be viewed within the museum.
After leaving the museum at Hawkinge, you will be driven through some areas of outstanding countryside to the picturesque village of Denton. You will have the opportunity to see The Jackdaw pub which featured in the classic 1968 film, 'The Battle of Britain'. This pub provided the location for the actor, Christopher Plummer who played Squadron Leader Harvey, to drive to The Jackdaw in order to meet his wife played by Susannah York. Guests will be able to stop for 15 minutes for photographs.
After leaving Denton, guests will be driven through the scenic country lanes and villages of Barham and Bridge (journey time is no more than 30 minutes) before arriving the beautiful and historic city of Canterbury. You will have the opportunity to visit the UNESCO World Heritage site such of Canterbury Cathedral (admission £17 not included) which records over 1400 years of British history including how Christianity was brought to the country by St Augustine in AD597. You can also view nearby St Martin's church which is the oldest in England (AD 587); enjoy a walk or take a punt along the River Stour; as well as visit charming and characterful places in which to eat and drink including a medieval timbered pub recorded in Chaucer's 'Canterbury Tales'. Here you can also sample a range of beer and other drinks from Britain's oldest brewery founded in 1698.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
You will be met at any railway station or hotel in or around Folkestone, Ashford, Canterbury or Dover within 20 miles of the Port of Dover, Kent (please advise your preferred pick-up or drop-off location at the time of booking).
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- The site at Dover Western Heights has uneven ground, is overgrown in places, and has concrete war time structures. Care needs to be taken when walking around the site.
Reviews(11)
Seeing where the enemy planes came from, seeing the pilots riding from the barracks to where they waited to scramble to their planes, how they fought, how some died, seeing where they went to drink and where some are buried is truly a Battle of Britain (BoB) Experience. As advertised, this tour totally delivers and is well worth the cost. I highly recommend this tour. This tour is a great way to learn about the BoB in a day and especially about the pilots who fought, their stories (for example, how one pilot developed a manoeuvre where he could dive in and attack 3 enemy planes during one pass, Roger whose character was in the movie "the Great Escape", etc), what they did and for some, how they were killed. This included the stories of the 7 pilots at the "Spirit of The Few" Monument and some of the pilots whose plane's wreckage pieces are on display in the museum and at the memorial. Hearing their stories saved having to do a lot of reading. In addition to the pilot stories, I really liked everywhere we stopped; the gun emplacement at St Martin's Battery, BoB Memorial, Hawkinge Fighter Station, BoB Museum and the Commonwealth Cemetery (here both RAF and Germain pilots are buried). I really enjoyed the stop for a drink at the Inn where pilots went for a drink. At the BoB Museum, Anthony highlighted some of the more interesting things and their stories. There was so much to see here that I could have spent a whole day here. As an added touch we passed by and saw places related to the 1969 movie "Battle of Britain". Photos at the BoB museum are not allowed but through Anthony, our guide, we got permission to take pictures with the outside exhibits. Photos are not allowed to respect the pilots whose pieces of their planes are on display. Anthony was willing to take our photos throughout the tour. During our tour, Anthony showed us other things along the way which included stopping at "The Pig" where Led Zeppelin once played and pointing out where "Ian Flemming" once lived and the place where a young Mozart once performed. Our day concluded with a walking tour of Canterbury which I thought was very well done and interesting. It was nice to have lunch at the oldest Inn in Canterbury and to see the Inn where the 4 knights had a drink before going to the Canterbury Cathedral and killing Tomas Beckett. Overall I felt that this tour was very "professional". It was delivered by a very knowledgeable guide who spoke clearly and whose narration was easy to understand. It included wearing good over the ear earsets (not earbuds) and being shown pictures from a binder to further explain things we were being told. Anthony made sure we saw everything we wanted before moving on. It was a nice paced tour where one didn't feel rushed. We rode in a very comfortable (cool) and roomy vehicle. Lastly, I felt that our guide Anthony was truly dedicated and extremely passionate about telling the stories of the lives of those "FEW" who fought in the Battle of Britain and Canterbury. Thank you Anthony for a "WONDERFUL", comprehensive, fact filled day and for the "Battle of Britain" experience. As advertised, this tour totally delivers and is well worth the cost. I highly recommend this tour. Those "FEW" live on. Mega Kudos.
This was a fantastic experience. Anthony absolutely made this day great, not only with his knowledge of the subject matter but also with how easy he made the day. As mentioned Anthony is very knowledgeable about the subject matter and brings a very human perspective to this with commentary about specific pilots and their lives and experiences. This allowed us to get a real sense of what it would have been like at the time for the people of Britain but particularly what it was like for the pilots and the support crews. The locations visited were well selected to provide a good insight into the nature of the Battle of Britain. We had plenty of time at each of the locations and never felt rushed. Anthony was very flexible with some of the places we visited including an amazing hotel that we had the opportunity to see (and hopefully stay in in the future!). The tour was tailored to our requirements and Anthony was very helpful picking us up from our hotel and dropping us to the train station. The conversation was very pleasant whilst enroute to the different locations and several excellent book recommendations were made. At the end of the tour Anthony provided us with a list of the places we had visited and was very helpful and provided some suggestions for places to visit in our future travels to the Cotswalds. Can’t thank Anthony enough for such a memorable day. Highly recommended!
Thank you for taking the time to write such a lovely review Joshua - that's really appreciated. It was a great pleasure to meet you and show you and Frances some of places in which the Battle took place, as well as share some of the stories of the young men who were defending our country from invasion just 85 years ago. It's a pretty powerful and emotive story isn't it? I am so glad that you enjoyed it and hope that you get the chance to return to England very soon. All best wishes, Anthony.
During our recent two plus week vacation to the British Isles, my wife and I booked seven different private tours. We enjoyed all of them, however, Dr. Anthony Medhurst’s, Battle of Britain – Hellfire Corner tour stands above all the other tours. I am well read on the Battle of Britain and was a bit worried that the tour would not meet my high expectations. I should NOT have been worried. Anthony is an EXPERT on the Battle and was able to tailor his presentation to suit a student of the Battle, like myself, and casual visitors, like my wife and our friends who toured with us. Anthony’s focus during the tour was not on a simple recounting of the events but on the human aspect of the Battle and the toll it took on the young pilots of RAF Fighter Command. The tour was rewarding and enlightening. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone interested in the Battle of Britain.
We had the privilege of experiencing Kent in the most enjoyable way, thanks to the expertise of our charming tour guide, Anthony. Given his local upbringing and his unparalleled education on the subject matter, we felt like we won the tour guide lottery. This, in addition to his being the perfect English gentleman, and his peaceful and personable demeanor, left us feeling like we had the most quintessential Kent experience. The Battle of Britain experience, the white cliffs of Dover, Canterbury, and many hidden gems off the stereotypical tourist path left us feeling like we might want to unpack our bags and stay. Thank you for your expertise, and providing an exquisitely memorable day Anthony. Honored that you so eloquently shared your part of the world with us.
This tour was an amazing experience! For those interested in a smaller tour guided by someone who not only knows the area (he's a local) but by an EXPERT! As a history lover myself, I found this tour to be exceptional! I was fortunate to be the only person for a slow Sunday tour and Anthony was kind enough to alter the tour to my interests! Some places that were normally a drive by, Anthony would stop by the churches so i could take photos. This tour will take you through the small villages in Kent that you would never see with a large tour bus. I covered more ground with his half day tour that I would have on my own over several days, not to mention multiple places that only locals would know. As a constant traveler who regularly books tours, I can easily say that this was the best tour I've ever taken! I highly recommend Anthony and his tour company. His tour made me fall in love with Kent and I'm very excited to return again to see more of the garden of England! 5 star experience!
That's so incredibly kind of you Jennifer - I am incredibly touched by your review. I have to say, it was a pleasure to meet you and I was so pleased that we could explore such beautiful places in this part of Kent. I hope that I get the opportunity to show some other wonderful sites whilst you are in the UK. Happy and safe travels!
Awe inspiring tour with a very experienced guide in Anthony. He made history come alive as we walked the Cliffs of Dover, poked into bunkers, sat at the very pub the RAF pilots drank in.
Dr. Medhurst provided us not only with data and statistics, he gave us his invaluable perspectives of the human side of the RAF leadership and pilots who won the Battle of Britain. His enormous knowledge of the people, the advantages and disadvantages of both sides gave we fairly well-oriented people a far deeper understanding of the entire big picture of the challenges of 1940. The full day took us from Canterbury through the Kent countryside to Dover's White Cliffs overlooking the harbor where he showed us the fortifications and described the Dover Castle and Chain Home facilities and operations. On to Folkestone and the RAF Memorial, Dr. Medhurst spoke eloquently of the individual sacrifices made by several of the men whose profiles are highlighted at the memorial. We visited a local pub frequented by some of the pilots before moving on to the Hawkinge Museum. Anthony focused our attention on many key exhibits, including the Operations Building and the many artifacts located among the former warbirds and military hardware there. He also took us to the JACKDAW Tavern, made famous from the movie "The Battle of Britain". Overall, Anthony made our limited available time far more valuable with his boundless storehouse of facts and human interest, while allowing us not to be concerned with driving, searching for roadsigns and finding the most important sights to see. I strongly recommend Dr. Medhurst to anyone interested in that historical era of World History, including visitors who are already well versed in the subjects. Anthony's cordial, personable presentation and delivery allowed for numerous questions and thoughtful answers. I look forward to maintaining this relationship for future visits.
Thank you for your very kind and generous feedback Mickey. It was such a pleasure to meet you and Susan - I had a fantastic day too! I very much hope that we get the chance to meet again.
This was a great experience. Anthony was very knowledgeable and very passionate about the few young men that did so much for their country and the world. They left a great legacy of the importance of fighting hard when you are against great odds. Anthony took great care to explain the battles and ahowing where it all happened. I would high recommend this to anyone.
Thank you for your lovely review Mike, that's much appreciated. I have to say, it was a great pleasure to get to know you during the tour, as well as show you some evocative reminders of our country's plight in 1940. Enjoy the rest of your trip in the UK. All best wishes, Anthony
Anthony is a knowledgeable & interesting guide. We were a party of 6 & we all enjoyed all the interesting sites, information & stories of the war. Seeing the town & eating at at a local pub was lots of fun! Would recommend Anthony as a personable & knowledgeable tour guide.
Thank you very much for your lovely review Donna. It was a great pleasure to meet you all and show you something of this terrific place. I hope that our paths cross again when you are back in the UK!
What a beautiful day out! We visited the incredible sites of Canterbury and the White Cliffs of Dover. Mind you, we absolutely loved the countryside and the villages too which weren't on the usual tourist routes. These were gorgeous and SO cute. Thanks Anthony - you were brilliant and we were grateful to have your local knowledge. You know your stuff. We will definitely recommend this to all our friends!
Thank you. It was a pleasure to meet you and I really appreciate your recommendation to friends!
