The pleasing East Cliff terrace was built c.1830-40. At the beginning of the 19th century there were no buildings here except an unusual house called Smith’s Folly. Built in 1791, it was partly carved from solid chalk, but mainly consisted of low buildings, roofed with inverted boats, and a turret. The builder was John Smith, father of Admiral Sir Sydney Smith. This strange edifice was the model for the house roofed with a boat in David Copperfield. Dover also provided settings for Dickens’ Little Dorrit and A Tale of Two Cities.