I frequently pass through Dover on my way to France & beyond, either by ferry or the Channel Tunnel a few miles away.

Today I took the long way back from Essex, driving through Reculver on the north Kent coast before heading to the cliffs overlooking Dover eastern docks where the ferry terminals are located.

There is an interesting twin tower church at Reculver.

The English Channel or La Manche as the French call it, is apparently the busiest seaway in the world, with hundreds of shipping movements passing through the Straits of Dover every single day.

The narrowest point between the UK & France is just 21 miles, so from a shipping point of view it can seem very crowded here.

To add to the confusion there are dozens of ferry crossings each day, busily avoiding the main shipping lanes as they traverse the Channel at right angles to the main flow of marine traffic.

From the viewpoint at the top of the white cliffs France can often be seen on a clear day but it’s a little hazy today so can’t see that far.

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