Before constructing the engineering marvel which is the Channel Tunnel the only way to cross from France to Britain and vice versa was by means of ferry boat. Ferry boats still run the...

By the heady 1960s forward thinkers considered the humble ship a thing of the past - the future of sea travel was floating across the water on a giant cushion of air. 1968 saw the beginning of regular cross-Channel hovercraft services.

Parts of the oak hull of what is believed to be the world’s oldest sea-faring boat – and possibly the first to cross the Channel – were discovered in 1992 and now occupy a prime position in the Dover Museum (above).

Regie voor Maritiem Transport (RMT) was the Belgian state-owned ferry service and operated ferries on the Ostend-Dover route under the name Oostende Lines. For the last few years until its demise in February 1997, the ferries from Ostend went to Ramsgate instead of Dover in partnership with Sally Line .

Port of Dover is Europe’s busiest ferry port, handling £144 billion of trade or 33% of the UKs trade in goods. Our history is vast and the Port is continually developing to ensure our future. Find out about our fascinating history, our importance during times of war, our pioneering of the cross-Channel rail link and how we are developing for ...