There are a few landmarks around the world that furrylittlegnome has built up in her mind as being magnificent spots to see. The White Cliffs of Dover was one of them. From a distance, the cliffs looked impressive, and as furrylittlegnome’s driver got closer, she was expecting more.
The town of Dover, located in Southeast England, is the narrowest point of the English Channel. The White Cliffs of Dover, made of chalk that give the cliffs their white appearance, are over 300 feet high and span ten miles. Facing France, the two countries are separated by only twenty-one miles (34 kilometers), and on a clear day, the French city of Calais can be seen in the distance.
When furrylittlegnome landed on Dover Beach, she was a bit shocked at what she saw. Dover is a shipping port, and the White Cliffs and Dover Castle seem to take a backseat. 
From the ground, the White Cliffs are obscured (and covered with moss). It looks like two or maybe three star hotels line the scenery – all that look completely out of place.
Gnome can only guess that to see the iconic line of white cliffs, one must be somewhere in The English Channel to really appreciate its beauty. Is furrylittlegnome glad she dragged someone here to see Dover? Absolutely. Is furrylittlegnome a little disappointed with what she saw? Absolutely.
furrylittlegnome 
I grew up near the (new) Jersey shore (beach) – before Trump and the casinos did a major invasion. I remember reading in on of the museums that the actual sands of the shore used to be about a mile (maybe two) from water line to first toe step in the sand. As my Mother-in-law is fond of saying…”What used to be, died.” Hopefully though some of the worlds wonders are in fact still wonderful. Thanks again for another honest review and great photos.
Please visit…http://julesgemstonepages.wordpress.com/2013/02/21/honoring-21/
Cheers, and safe travels where-ever you may roam.
I think it was last year – a big chunk of the cliffs fell into the water. The photos were amazing. See if you can find them on the internet. My trip here was roughly two years ago, and while I am happy I went, it wasn’t what I thought Dover and the cliffs would look like.
Ah…The Big fall was in March…(2012). Beautiful but not very stable.
I can’t really find any one good photo of the old NJ shore. But it was much different than it was, and will change more I suppose after the rebuild from Hurricane Sandy.
The ‘White Cliffs’ are only actually pure white after a rock fall – being chalk they are not very stable. The exposed face soon ‘weathers’, becoming dull or having plant life appear. In some places they have to be protected from falling with mesh and other devices. Dover is a busy port and the castle on the top of the hill is well worth a visit. The white cliffs spread all along that stretch of coast.
Thanks for the visit and information. The castle looked fabulous! Furrylittlegnome is happy she didn’t see any mesh covering the cliffs!!!