Name and Location

The Roman Pharos Lighthouse, also known as Pharus Dubris or Dover Castle Lighthouse, is a ruin of a mid-Roman Empire lighthouse located in Dover, Kent, England. Its official address is Roman Pharos, Harold's Road, Dover CT16 1HU.

2. Construction and History

The Roman Pharos was built around the 2nd century AD, possibly under Hadrian (c. 120-130 AD), to guide merchant and military vessels across the Channel. It stood for over a century before falling into ruin after the Roman withdrawal from Britain in the 5th century AD. The medieval castle was later built on top of the lighthouse's remains.

3. Architecture and Materials

The Roman Pharos is a circular tower, originally five stacked rings diminishing in diameter. Its core is made of Kentish ragstone and local chalk blocks, with Roman hydraulic mortar (lime-based, pozzolana-type) used for construction. The facing may have been plastered or white-washed, although there's no direct evidence to confirm this. Only the lower two levels of the original five floors are substantially extant.

4. Light and Navigation

The lighthouse was likely operated by official keepers who burned coal or wood fires on the top platform. There is no direct evidence on the light pattern used, but it was not automated; instead, manual operation by Roman military or civilian harbor authorities was employed.

5. Accessibility and Visiting

The Roman Pharos is open as part of the Dover Castle ticketed grounds. Visitors can access the site from the Castle's Lower Ward via Mortimer Road entrance off Harold's Road. No interior access to the tower's upper levels is available due to safety concerns. Guided tours of Dover Castle include a walk past the tower, and information panels provide insights into the Roman harbour and lighthouse.

6. Notable Views and Landscape

The Roman Pharos overlooks the medieval port area of Dover, the modern harbour and ferry terminals, and the French coast across the Strait of Dover. The surrounding landscape features the chalk escarpment overlooking the seafront and the White Cliffs of Dover National Trust walking trails.

7. Anecdotes and Folklore

Local legend has it that the tower's fire could be seen from Calais on exceptionally clear nights, although there is no archaeological proof to support this claim.

8. Technical and Operational Details

The Roman Pharos is a scheduled ancient monument and forms part of the Dover Castle site managed by English Heritage. It was excavated in the 1960s and 1970s, with limited finds including Roman ceramic fragments and mortar analysis. Conservation works have been conducted to stabilize the ruin.

9. Further Information

• For further reading and references, see Bishop and Coulston's "Roman Military Equipment from Excavations in Kent, 1976-84,"
• English Heritage's Dover Castle Official Guidebook (latest edition),
• Bidwell's "The Roman Town of Dover: Excavations 1970-1978,"
• Historic England Listing NHLE Number 1011229, and the Wikipedia article on Dover Castle.