The Port of Dover in Kent and Malta’s Grand Harbour in Valletta
By Albert Fenech
Situated in Kent, the Port of Dover is a cross-channel ferry port, a cruise terminal and a maritime cargo and marina hub as it is Britain’s nearest port to France across the English Channel, a distance difference of 34 kilometres (21 miles).
Annually, it is estimated that Dover handles 12 million passengers, three million trucks and 2.5 million cars and motorcycles, as well as 85,000 coaches.
Economically this means that Dover handles an annual turnover of £60 million and makes it one of Britain’s most important and busiest ports, not only in terms of passenger turnover, but also economic sustainment.
On my many visits and stays in Horsted Keynes in West Sussex in the past, I have always been amazed by the parallel summaries between Kent and Sussex and the Maltese Islands, particularly the Valletta Grand Harbour.
However, logical rationing makes this quite obvious. Why?
Kent and Sussex are the nearest points in Britain facing the north European landmass being only 34 kilometres away from the French coast, while in south Europe facing the same European landmass are the Maltese Islands, a little further away, at 181 kilometres from the nearest point in Sicily.
In between them lies the European landmass.
Research clearly indicates that both ports, Dover and the Grand Harbour, were ports and trading gateways during the Stone and Bronze ages – not surprising because of their proximity to land masses, BUT, also making them very proven to sea invasions.
When the Romans invaded Britain, what is now Dover was naturally one of their first ports of call and they named it Dubris, a sheltered estuary between two imposing chalk cliffs on the West Bank of the River Dour.
In later centuries Dover Castle and Dover Western Heights were built as defensive fortifications against foreign invasions i.e. French, but under the Romans, Dubris grew into an important military, mercantile and cross-channel harbour and one of the principal Roman roads that led to London and the famous Roman-London, Watling Street.
At this point, what are the comparisons between Dover Port and Malta’s Valletta Grand Harbour, Valletta which was inaugurated in 1568 by the Grand Knights of Malta?
First and foremost, both points face the European mainland north and south and are therefore a first line of national defence.
Because of this geographical position, over the centuries they became militarily fortified to deal with the threats of mainland invasions, Dover by the French but Malta became more and more renowned for withstanding successive Ottoman invasions as these would have gained a precious foothold into Italy and the rest of Europe.
Fort St Elmo was built at the Grand Harbour entrance in the Middle Ages, Malta’s main fort to importantly guard the harbour entrance.
However, there is also a high commercial national economic value attached to both ports.
Malta’s Grand Harbour is the largest natural port/harbour in the world with quays dotted throughout, including the always-busy Three Cities of Cospicua, Vittoriosa and Senglea as well as Kalkara and Marsa, and of course along the Valletta quays.
This was foreseen by the Knights of St John when Grandmaster Jean Parisot de Valette began building Valletta and decreed it as Malta’s new capital city instead if inland Mdina. Guarding the entrance he fortified Fort St Elmo and this was instrumental throughout the Great Siege of 1565 and much later two World Wars.
Before the arrival of air travel, the Grand Harbour was responsible for every commercial activity and in recent years became a haven for cruise liners and passenger arrivals. In addition the import of all goods, food and otherwise, was due to ship arrivals in the harbour and – to cap it all – the Knights initiated a large dockyard for the repairs and renovations of its war galleys and other commercial ships.
The immense use of this dockyard played a good part in the two World Wars as a repair and renovation ‘yard for the British Mediterranean Fleet.
The port of Dover continued to grow after the Norman invasion of 1066 and during the 12th Century flourished as the only designed entry point for incoming pilgrims and a point of departure for the third series of Crusades to the Holy Land.
After 1340 a large defensive wall was built around Dover, just as a large defensive wall had been built around Valletta and enabled Dover Port to continue as one of the largest and most economically important ports throughout the UK.
Dover Port and the Malta Grand Harbour – join hands!
Thankfully, to relieve the 24/7 activity in the Grand Harbour of massive incoming/outgoing freight vessels carrying enormous containers, over the last 20 years a Freeport was established in the south of Malta and this now handles all maritime vessels – except cruise liners of course.
ALBERT FENECH
