From poets to performers, the Dover district has been inspiring creatives for centuries and it remains an oasis for those seeking the coastal life with London, Canterbury and mainland Europe close by. Add in quality state and small private schools, amazing history and culture, excellent restaurants, pubs and bars, quality independent shops and spectacular landscapes and it’s easy to see this as a place with quality of life at its heart.
Playwright Noel Coward and 007 author Ian Fleming, singer Joss Stone and actress Miriam Margolyes have all called Dover district home. Charles Dickens, Jane Austen and George Eliot spent time here, too, and Victorian writer Matthew Arnold penned a whole poem dedicated to Dover Beach while on honeymoon.
The district offers some of the best performing schools in Kent – at both primary and secondary level – with a broad range of selective and non-selective schools, including Dover Grammar School for Girls, Dover Grammer School for Boys and Sir Roger Manwood’s School in Sandwich. Northbourne Park School, Dover College and The Duke of York’s Royal Military School are local well regarded independent schools.
Dover is also home to a further education college campus run by East Kent Colleges Group. It will be opening a new site in 2026 focused on training courses for the creative sector as part of the Dover Beacon project.
With three towns and picture postcard villages, each with their own distinct character, and lots of outdoor activities to enjoy – from golf at a championship links course (Royal St George’s was ranked the best golf course in England by Top 100 Golf Courses in 2025) to spectacular coast walks and cycling though the North Downs – plus plenty of top-notch restaurants, traditional local pubs, a thriving programme of annual events and a burgeoning local music scene, this is the place to invest your downtime and plan your future.
