Cross-Channel Geopark Festival: What’s on

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This November we're hosting a landmark day festival at Dover Castle - and you're invited! Step into a landscape shaped over 400 million years and discover the hidden links between Kent and northern France.

8 Nov 2025
Dover

Dover Castle is the perfect backdrop for celebrating our shared natural and cultural heritage as we take the next step in our UNESCO Global Geopark application. Not only a national icon, the Castle is also a site of immense geological and cultural significance. Built on the chalk cliffs that define Kent’s coastline, it tells a story carved in stone — from the geology that shaped it, to its role as England’s front line of defence, to centuries of cross-Channel connections between England and France.

This is your chance to get hands-on with real fossils, create geology-inspired art, and join interactive workshops, talks, walks, and performances that bring the stories of the Geopark to life.

Highlights

Talk and book signing with Dr Anjana Khatwa, author of Whispers of the Rock – free, but booking required
Exciting talks, exhibitions, and hands-on activities for all ages from partners including English Heritage, White Cliffs Countryside Partnership, Maison Dieu, Dover Museum & more
Geopark Ambassador-led activities exploring the Castle and surrounding areas
Solar gazing and candle making workshops
Fun for all the family across the Castle grounds

Full activities listing below!

Admission

Enjoy free entry to Dover Castle if you’re a local resident or an English Heritage member.
Residents living in postcodes CT15, CT16, and CT17 can visit free of charge as part of the Cross-Channel Geopark Festival celebrations. Please bring proof of address showing your postcode to gain free admission on the day.
If you’re visiting from outside the local area or are not an English Heritage member, standard tickets apply, but you can save 15% by booking in advance online.
All festival activities are free to enjoy. Some sessions have limited capacity and will run on a first-come, first-served basis, or may require advance booking.
Last entry is at 3pm.
Parking is limited, and holding a ticket does not guarantee a parking space, so please plan your journey accordingly.
Dogs on leads are welcome in the outdoor areas of the site. For more details about on-site facilities, visit English Heritage’s Dover Castle facilities page.

Getting here

Free travel is available from Folkestone to Dover Castle and back via Crosskeys Coach:
- - Folkestone Central (Tattoo Shop bus stop) – Depart: 9:30am, 10:30am, 11:30am, 1:30pm, 2:30pm
  - Wood Avenue bus stop (Canterbury Road) – Depart: 9:40am, 10:40am, 11:40am, 1:40pm, 2:40pm
  - Return from Dover Castle – Depart: 10am, 11am, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm, 4pm, 5pm
By train: Regular southeastern railway services run to Dover Priory from London and Kent towns. From there, it’s a short bus, Dover Fastrack or taxi ride to the castle.
By Eurotunnel or ferry: Travel sustainably through the heart of the Cross-Channel Geopark, perfect for visitors from France and beyond.
By car: Follow the A20 and signs for Dover Castle. Parking is available, though car sharing and public transport are encouraged to help protect the environment.