Port of call: there’s more to Dover than ferries, white cliffs and the A20

Kent’s coastal hub is seeing a revival, as new bars and restaurants join venues with a hidden history in a town that rewards exploration

It’s not every day you wind up at a lock-in with a circle of new best mates. But this is Dover and, as I’m to learn, it’s full of surprises, despite having been overshadowed by Deal and Folkestone as a destination in its own right.

Holding court at the White Horse is convivial proprietor and “rude bald man” Stuart Fox (his moniker is chalked above the bar) who, together with his partner Julian Crowley, runs the oldest pub in town.