Welcome

The Dover District Council area is the part of South East England that is nearest to mainland Europe. The area covers approximately 121 square miles and includes three main towns, Dover, Deal and Sandwich as well as dozens of picturesque villages and hamlets which make East Kent such an attractive and popular place to live and visit.

The 2001 census found the population to be 104,490.

The main town in the district is Dover - internationally famous for the White Cliffs and one of the world’s premier ports. Steeped in history, the town has been dubbed 'The Gateway to Britain' and has been the country's frontline since before the Roman invasion. Apart from the port and ferry industries, the main business in the area is tourism, packaging and electrical instrumentation. More on Dover.

Ten miles to the north of Dover lies the coastal town of Deal which has been called ‘a late 17th Century new town unlike anything else in England’ It is a favourite with sea anglers and back in the 18th Century was renowned for smuggling. Deal is home to numerous small businesses and is a popular residential area. More on Deal.

 

The last of the main towns is Sandwich, described as the ‘completest medieval town in England’ with ancient streets and alleyways, which house an array of antique shops. More on Sandwich.

 

From Dover, ferries provide many crossings to France every day, depending on the time of year, but in addition to its proximity to Europe, the district has excellent internal road and rail links. The Channel Tunnel terminal at Cheriton and the Ashford International Passenger Station for the Eurostar service are near by. There are regular train services to London, and with the arrival of the high speed train service, London is just over an hour away.

Education is well served with a variety of state and private schools, further educational colleges and universities at Canterbury a few miles away. The education services is provided by Kent County Council.