The Kent Castles Caper! – Day 2

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Morning all! Here we are in Deal, Kent. We arrived yesterday to a scorching hot day – and impossible parking (more about that in a while!). We’re taking a short break with our cultural heads on – in search of Castles! On the list during our stay is:-

Yes, we plan to give those English Heritage Cards a real workout before we leave on Friday! 😎.

We woke at 3.45am to ‘nature’s alarm clock’ aka a herd of seagulls – and what sounded like a the worst Britain’s Got Talent audition! Step forward, about half a dozen of our winged warblers screaming at each other to prove who had the largest lungs and biggest beaks! How we laughed!! Thanks gulls!!! ☹️

We’re staying at Channel View Apartments in Deal Castle Road. It’s not bad accommodation, but we’ve had better. It has all we need and is well-equipped, but looks a little ‘tired’ in places (a little like me!). There’s plenty of space in the lounge, but location-wise, the most crucial issue is car parking – or complete lack of it!

With the car parking challenge, maybe they should call this place ‘Deal or No Deal’. Honestly, it’s like being in London: a great location and plenty to see – but parking is not easy if you’re a stranger! Actually, no, it’s worse than London as there doesn’t appear to be ANY long-term parking at all within easy reach of where we are and where signage for parking is non-existent (apart from the residents zones and short term affairs). And just to screw any thought of promoting tourism at this end of town, all the immediate parking is subject to a two-hour maximum and no return within the hour! Thanks, Dover Council 🤬🤬. They don’t need Castles round here to thwart an invasion, they just need to paint double yellows everywhere! Oh, wait! They already have!!! 😮☹️

Therefore at the top of our list today is to talk with the locals to determine what we do with the car for the next few days! Disappointingly, I think the nearest long-stay car-park might be in France! Oh ye, of little faith, the mystery is solved, thanks to one of the helpful Staff at Deal Castle – more about that later in this Post.

Today’s plan? We’ve two Castles in mind – nearby Deal Castle and then, a shortish walk away, Warmer Walmer Castle. The former is so close, we can almost touch it from where we’re staying, whilst Walmer Castle is 30 minutes by foot. Thankfully, it’s a little cooler here today, contrary to the national forecast with ‘early 20s’ being the maximum. In spite of the ideal walking conditions though and the short distance between the Castles, we’ll probably take the car to escape the clutches of the local Traffic Enforcers!

Once we’re all ‘castled-out, we’re going to take a drive into Deal town and have a look around.

Deal Castle

Deal Castle was built in 1539–40 on Henry VIII’s order as an artillery fortress, designed to allow all-round firepower from over 140 guns. For over 250 years it defended the important naval anchorage called the Downs, and in 1648 endured a hard-fought siege between Royalist and Parliamentarian forces during the English Civil Wars. From 1730 it was gradually transformed into a genteel residence, and its military role had effectively ceased by around 1800 (Thanks, English Heritage!).

Ann chatted with two of the Guides to gain some more background information, and here’s what we learned: It was built in just a year and using just 1427 men. But better than that, not just Deal Castle but they constructed Walmer Castle and Sandown Castle too in that same 12 months! Impressive! Now that’s what I call ‘productivity’!👍Of the three, Sandown Castle is no more, (today, it’s a Community Garden), whilst here at Deal and nearby Walmer, they certainly pull in the crowds.

It was just a short flight of stairs up to the battlements with some stunning views from the top.

It was a beautiful day for it, and the breeze from the ocean worked a treat as the temperature was now already higher than the forecast! 👍🥵. A perfect opportunity to descend and look inside the Castle.

It was like it had its own air-conditioning! Wonderfully cool and such a contrast to outside. We ended our visit with a wander around ‘ground level’ outside. It had been a thoroughly enjoyable visit with knowledgeable Guides, stunning views and a beautiful day for it!

Next stop? Walmer Castle, a short drive away. But before all that, as promised, here’s the official ‘line’ on parking here in Deal. Our thanks to Melanie, who was on the front desk at Deal Castle, who explained how it all works! 👍

Yes, parking for more than a few hours is challenging, and yes, there are the occasional spaces in side streets BUT… there are long-term Car-Parks in Deal, but as we suspected, they were nowhere near where we’re staying – see below. The parking is managed by Dover Council and the Wardens are very visible and doing their job!

Happily, there was an official workaround for us. As we suspected yesterday, we could take advantage of being English Heritage members. Parking in any of their car parks is free from 6pm until 9am – and when parked, you are given three hours free. So today, we plan to park the car in Deal Castle car park just after 3pm (using our free three hours) and plan to leave by 9am tomorrow. Simples! 😊

Walmer Castle

Thanks again to English Heritage, here are some essential facts about this Castle.
Walmer Castle was built in 1539–40 by Henry VIII in response to threats of invasion from Europe. It was all part of a 2.7-mile coastal barrier that included Deal and Sandown Castles. During the English Civil Wars, Walmer came under siege from Parliamentarian forces, but since the 18th century, Walmer has been the official residence of the Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. The Cinque Ports are a series of major ports on the south-east coast of England. They are Sandwich, Dover, Hythe, New Romney and Hastings. By the mid-18th century, the castle had become a well-equipped seaside retreat as well as a Fort.

As we approached Walmer Castle, the weather was definitely warmer than the forecast. Cue hats and sunglasses! 🌞🌞. After parking the car (drat! All the shady spaces had gone!) we headed for the entrance. What makes this Castle a little different to its sister in Deal is that it has impressive Gardens, and because it was the residence of the ‘Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports‘ too, it all felt somewhat grander than ‘just’ a Castle. It became the official residence of the Lord Warden in 1607 and is still in use today. The position dates back to the 12th century and is highly coveted.

Our first stop then had to be the Lord Warden’s Apartment. Notable ‘Lords Warden’ include William Pitt the Younger, the Duke of Wellington, W H Smith (later T G Jones 😊) and the Queen Mother. The slightly macabre factoid is that the Duke of Wellington actually died here at Walmer Castle in 1852 – and they still have the actual chair where we ‘left this world’. It wasn’t surprising, therefore to see a lot of exhibits celebrating the DoW’s life – including his boots!

The Castle was impressive, but the Apartment was a very pleasant surprise. Each room was special in its own way, and English Heritage have done a great job in conserving the property.

I was just getting started with my photographs when I noticed that there was a sign prohibiting any form of photography or video – so I stopped! 😮. A shame really, as it would have been good to show off the decor. The above two are all I got! ☹️ – no, I don’t know what the red light does! 🤔

If Deal Castle had been impressive, then here at Walmer, it was even more so – but the best was yet to come! As we wandered into the Gardens, it was easy to spot that it was well-loved. Everything seemed to be in rude health, and it looked especially impressive on this very hot day against a perfect blue sky!

..and if that didn’t impress, then their Kitchen Garden was even more impressive!

Wow! What an impressive location! We headed back to the car for a picnic lunch before heading off into the town of Deal.

The Town of Deal

Here we are in the Town. Today, with its population of around 32000, Deal is a former fishing, mining and garrison town. Deal became a ‘limb port’ of the Cinque Ports in 1278 and grew into the busiest port in England; today it is a seaside resort, its streets and houses a reminder of its history along with many ancient buildings and monuments. In 1968, Middle Street was the first conservation area in Kent.

Meanwhile, in 2026, we were here to get a ‘feel’ for the town – and a meal for tonight!

It was a busy town and definitely had a buzz about it. The shops were a mix of mostly well-known high street brands plus a few independents. Nice to see a fresh fish shop on the high street in 2026! 👍😊🦈

But old habits die hard, and we couldn’t resist checking out the local Sainsbury’s here in Deal. Opened in 1998, it looked much newer and looking around, we think it’s the largest supermarket in Deal. With Dinner tonight sorted, we headed back to the Apartment having covered a grand total of FOUR miles in the car today!

Tomorrow

Tomorrow, we’re off to Dover. We’ve never spent any time together in Dover before now (except for grabbing a Ferry to France), whilst I’d spent a lot of time here, as part of my day job, during the brand-new Dover Sainsbury’s opening back in 1980!

See you on Thursday!! 👍