What factor best explains why London rather than dover became England's chief port?

Answer 1

Dover and London are not far from each other but have very different situations. Dover is located on cliffs, known as the White Cliffs of Dover. The cliffs have served as effectivedefensesagainst attacking forces. Access to the town was therefore difficult by sea, a vital link in the life of the British Isles.

On the other hand, London grew because the River Thames provided easy access to the sea with many miles of waterfront that served as ports. The early city of London was located to the north of the river and provided links from the sea to the North and to the West of the country. As the city grew in importance, so the ports grew with it. The ports were developed at a time when business owners needed to be close to their operational centers to monitor and manage them and so the financial centers in London encouraged ports to be built close by.

In recent years, other ports have grown while London's have shrunk to just a fraction of the size they once were. Reclaimed land at Dover with a 75 minute sea crossing to Europe has made Dover one of the busiest ports in the country. Road links to and from the port that avoid London's traffic also make it a popular route. Although London remains the financial center of the country, communication links no longer demand that ports are close to business centers.