School Visits

Dover Castle Under Siege: New siege experience and free resources

Discover how Dover Castle in Kent resisted the sieges of 1216-17 and stopped the English throne from falling into French hands. New hands-on experiences, exciting displays and free teaching resources bring Dover Castle’s dramatic past to life.

Free resources

Get hands-on with our new attack and defence handling collection and use our free Teachers’ Kit full of activities and resources to bring this pivotal period to life. Follow our sensory trail to discover medieval Dover or enjoy our interactive timeline and learn about the people who lived and worked at the castle.

Download our free resources

Siege experience

Delve into the network of underground tunnels, role play firing the cannons and then emerge from the tunnels to experience one of the best views of the castle's defences. Stand at the place where the attackers would have camped and imagine how you would have attacked and defended Dover Castle. Explore the northern defences and step inside the casemates exhibition to unearth the story of the sieges through exciting visual displays, cinematic film and interactive activities.

Take learning further

Discover the castle’s 20th century history with our free new resources. Take on the role of Royal Navy recruits and learn to identify the different roles of the army and the navy at Dover Castle during the First World War. Understand the context and significance of Operation Dynamo and consider the role of deception during the Second World War. Can your pupils develop a plan to convince enemy forces that a large army is gathering on the coast?

Download our 20th century resources

Explore Dover Castle with your class

Find out more

  • Enquire now

    0370 333 1181

  • We’re upgrading our booking system between 2-10 February 2026 and won’t be able to take bookings during this time. Please contact bookeducation@english-heritage.org.uk for any queries about existing bookings. If you’ve already got in touch with us, we’ll get back to you as soon as we can, but please note that we may take slightly longer than usual to respond.