Neil, you are currently historic properties director for the South East with English Heritage – tell us about your career so far
I joined English Heritage in 2012 as a general manager at Dover Castle, after starting my career as a marketing officer for a local authority, working my way up to head of tourism for Greenwich London borough and getting involved in pre-Olympic activities in 2012.
In 2013, I was temporarily promoted to historic properties director for the South East and was made permanent in 2014.
What makes Dover Castle unique?
During every working day you literally walk through 2,000 years of history. There’s the earliest rampart defences that date back to the prehistoric Iron Age and the Roman built pharos (lighthouse). There’s the Anglo Saxon fortified town and the great square tower built in the 1180s for King Henry II. There’s also the underground tunnels built in Napoleonic times and, now, its use as a military base. Dover Castle has been touched by the most significant periods in history.
After Stonehenge, Dover Castle is the second-most important property for English Heritage. Over the past 15 years, we have invested more than £15m in the site, which has allowed us to tell the story of the castle in a more coherent way. This has led to an increase in visitor numbers in the past 15 years. From 120,000 to 350,000 visitors a year, it is now the second-most visited property in our portfolio.
You get to learn everything about running a visitor attraction because no two days are the same. One day you may be dealing with customers; next day training staff; the following day working on commercial improvements.
How has Dover changed over time?
Each occupant has added to the richness of Dover Castle’s story. From Henry II, to the fortifications built when the threat of a Napoleonic invasion was prevalent, to the more recent changes with the secret war time tunnels, you can see how this site has developed and changed over the years – and the important role the castle has played in history. Working at Dover Castle is never dull; it is always fresh, motivating and challenging, and it gives equally diverse opportunities for career and personal growth.
What difference has the new train service made to visiting Dover?
The high-speed train service to Dover has made a huge difference; it now only takes about one hour or so from London, making it an easily accessible destination for a day trip or commutable working location.
Tracey, you also began your career at Dover – what is your role now?
Before joining English Heritage, I worked for a number of global tourism companies, so my career has always been in the customer service industry. I began my career with English Heritage by selling admission tickets to Dover Castle. This got me off to a good start and over the years, I moved into a variety of roles with in the organisation, ultimately returning to the castle as general manger. My current role as historic properties directors covers all 400 historic properties and monuments in our care. It is a hugely rewarding role
What are the future plans for Dover Castle?
The development of the site is continuing and we have some great plans for the future. With Heritage Lottery funding, we will place a first world war anti aircraft gun at Dover as it was a major hub in the defence of the English Channel. We are also investing in Constables’ Tower, more holiday cottages and increasing hospitality opportunities. Dover Castle has also been used on various occasions as a filming location, most recently for BBC’s Wolf Hall and Disney’s Into the Woods.
If you are looking to develop your career within the historic environment, or the visitor attractions market – or both – then Dover is a great place to be. If you have a sound commercial background, with proven experience in running a visitor attraction and have what it takes to manage Dover Castle, manage a £12m operating budget and want to be part of its future, we would love to hear from you.
Click here for more information about the general manager position at Dover Castle
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