First given earthworks during the American Civil War, the high ground west of Dover, now called Dover Western Heights, was properly fortified in 1804 when Lieutenant-Colonel William Twiss built the Citadel at the western end, North Centre Bastion to the north, and Drop Redoubt overlooking the town. The unique triple spiral staircase, the Grand Shaft, linked barracks on the hill to the town below.
Much of the site is open as a country park, though the barracks have been demolished, the Grand Shaft is only open occasionally, and the Citadel is now a Young Offenders Institution and so is off limits.
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