Members of the Friends of Dover Castle have a tour of
 Averanches Tower

A highlight of ‘Lives, Loves and Legends’ of Dover Castle tour with Chris Pascall was the visit to Averanches Tower.

During a dramatic pause the outside gate shut with a loud bang making everyone jump and set the pulse racing.

There was an opportunity to place one hand on the bricks laid at the time of Henry II and the other hand on relatively new bricks laid over 800 years later.

The first family connection with Dover Castle comes via William D’Averanche who landed in Dover with William the Conqueror.

William D'Averanches was made Lord of the manor of Hougham (An Anglo Saxon Manor near Dover) together with sundry other manors and was one of the 8 Knights who were wardens over Dover Castle under John de Fienne. He probably married Matilda daughter of Baldwin De Redvers Earl of Devon but no definite proof exists.

A window to his memory may be seen in Dover Castle.