Celebrating a landmark Kent–Pas de Calais UNESCO bid: Cross-Channel Geopark Festival announced at Dover Castle 

Dover Castle will host the 2025 Cross-Channel Geopark Festival on Friday 7 and Saturday 8 November, celebrating the UK–France partnership behind a landmark bid to join UNESCO’s Global Geoparks network.

The festival coincides with the submission of the Cross-Channel Geopark (CCGP) UNESCO application at the end of November. If successful, the Geopark would become one of just 213 UNESCO Global Geoparks worldwide — and the first ever to cross an international sea border.

Thanks to the generous support of English Heritage, Dover Castle — one of Kent’s most iconic historic sites — will provide a dramatic setting for this two-day celebration, welcoming invited guests, Ambassadors, and the public to mark this international milestone.

Nick Crane, President of the Cross-Channel Geopark, said:

“I’ve spent my life exploring the landscapes of Britain and beyond, and I can say with certainty the Cross-Channel Geopark is exceptional. Stretching across England and France, linked by the Channel itself, these are landscapes like no other. I honestly can’t think of a better example anywhere in the world of a Geopark that brings together geology, heritage, and communities.”

A festival in two parts

Friday 7 November (Invite only)

Dover Castle will be open exclusively for the Geopark’s newly appointed Ambassadors and key partners. The day includes training, networking, guided tours of Dover Castle and the Maison Dieu, and a formal reception in the Castle Keep’s historic King’s Throne Room, attended by senior UK and French political, business, and community leaders.

This first day celebrates Kent’s unique landscapes, heritage, and cross-Channel connections, strengthening collaborations that support tourism, conservation, and education across the region.

Saturday 8 November (Open to all)

The second day invites the public to enjoy a diverse programme of talks, workshops, walks, exhibitions, stalls and creative activities, with new experiences added in the run-up to the event.

Festival highlights include:

• A talk and book signing with Dr Anjana Khatwa, marking the release of her newly published book, Whispers of the Rock

• Bees & Refugees workshop – Candle-making, honey tasting, and fun educational activities for children.

• Solar gazing – Join the South East Kent Astronomical Society (SEKAS) to explore the connection between the sun, climate, and geology.

• Cat’s Eye stone carving – traditional stone carving and live French-style masonry demonstrations.

• Family foraging walk – Nature autumn harvest and cook-up using free seasonal foods like acorns, seeds, nuts, and seaweed.

• Grotesque gargoyle modelling workshop – Create your own clay gargoyle inspired by Dover Castle’s gothic architecture.

• Accessible Walk and Wheel – Enjoy the best views across Dover and the Channel while learning about geology, history, wildlife, and local folktales.

• Dover Walk – 8-mile route from Dover Station to the Dover Castle, taking in the North Downs Way, Western Heights, and stunning panoramas.

• Dinosaur Detectives – meet GeoAmbassador Steve Friedrich and discover Britain’s last dinosaurs through hands on displays.

• Exhibitions and family activities from partners including English Heritage, the White Cliffs Countryside Partnership, Maison Dieu, and Dover Museum

• Creative workshops and family-friendly fun across the Castle grounds

Admission

All festival activities are free to enjoy. Castle entry will be free for residents (CT15, CT16, CT17) and English Heritage members with proof of address or membership. Standard admission applies for other visitors, with 15% off when booked online in advance.

Neil McCollum, English Heritage Operations Director for South and East, said:

“We’re delighted Dover Castle will play such a central role in the Cross-Channel Geopark’s journey towards UNESCO recognition. As a Geosite, the Castle stands on the chalk cliffs that define so much of Kent’s identity — a landscape shaped by deep geological time and centuries of human history. Dover has always been a place of connection: between land and sea, England and France, past and present. Hosting the Geopark Festival here feels especially fitting — it’s a celebration of the stories, relationships, and landscapes that unite us across the Channel.”

Isabel Shaw, Head of Climate, Nature and Geopark Delivery at Kent Downs National Landscape, added:

“The Cross-Channel Geopark has been years in the making, and it’s been a privilege to help bring it to life alongside so many passionate partners. The support and enthusiasm we’ve seen from communities, organisations, and individuals across Kent and northern France has been truly heartening. This isn’t just our Geopark — it belongs to everyone who cares about these landscapes and the stories they hold. For Kent, it’s a moment to celebrate what makes our chalk landscapes so special, and to share that with the world.”

François Charlet, Director of Parc naturel régional des Caps et Marais d’Opale, said:

“We are immensely proud to stand alongside our English partners in shaping this truly unique Geopark. The landscapes of the Pas-de-Calais and Kent have always been connected, geologically, culturally, and historically, and the Cross-Channel Geopark gives new meaning to that bond. Achieving UNESCO Global Geopark status would be a remarkable recognition of this partnership, and of the story our landscapes have been telling for millions of years.”

Cllr Paul King, Kent County Council Cabinet Member for Economic Development, added:

“Kent’s landscapes and heritage are the foundation of our visitor economy. The Cross-Channel Geopark has the potential to strengthen this even further, putting Kent and the Pas-de-Calais on the global stage as a UNESCO site. Hosting the Festival at Dover Castle underlines our commitment to working with partners to attract investment, support local jobs, and showcase Kent as a world-class destination for tourism, culture, and nature.”