DOVER CASTLE

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Medieval castle possibly originating as a pre-1066 motte and bailey castle, remodelled during the reign of Henry II, to became a castle with concentric defences, one of the first examples of its kind in western Europe. Much of this work was supervised by Maurice `the ingeniator' and started with piecemeal additions to the defences during the 1160s and 1170s and major construction work, including the keep, walls of the inner bailey and parts of the outer curtain wall between 1179 and 1188. Work during the reign of Henry III included strengthening of the defences and the modernising of the castle's accomodation. Much of this took place between 1217-57 and was supervised by Hubert de Burgh. Additions included construction of St John's Tower outside the northern defences which was linked to the castle by a tunnel. Limited work on the castle and its defences took place during the 14th and 15th century and by the 17th century it was in neglect. The castle was in use as a prison for prisoners of war from 1690 and until the 1740s when a programme of modernisation was started. This included the updating of the defences and construction of barracks, supervised by JP Desmaretz. Further changes took place in response to the Napoleonic Wars. Much of this took place between 1794 and 1805 and was implemented by Lieutenant Colonel William Twiss, and included bombproofing of the keep, installation of additional gun batteries and outworks and the excavation of underground tunnels for communication and additional accomodation. The castle was also adapted to protect itself from new explosive shells in 1853 and new barrack were constructed. The castle was used during World War I and World War II when features including anti aircraft and search light batteries were constructed.

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TR 3248 4194: Dover Castle [NR]. (1)

For full description of Dover Castle, see Ministry of Works Guide Book attached. Scheduled. Dover Castle, as described above, is in excellent condition. Published 1/1250 survey (earthworks) correct. (2-3)

Dover Castle. Grade I. Norman keep circa 1155. Around the keep are ranges of 18th century houses. Surrounding these ranges are 2 concentric rings of walls and towers dating from Medieval times. Beneath the castle are a whole series of subterranean passages dating from the 13th century and improved for defence during the
Napoleonic period. Ancient Monument. (4)

Dover Castle, architectural, historical and archaeological
description. (5-6)

After the Battle of Hastings William the Conqueror built the first castle at Dover. The existing stone-built castle begins in the reign of Henry II (1154-89). Work included the construction of the great keep and the inner curtain wall surrounding it, built between 1181-88. Excavations in the area of the southern barbican revealed the foundations of a gatehouse built in the reign of Henry II but which was quickly demolished and superseeded by the inner bailey with its towers and barbicans. Between 1205 and 1214, during the reign of King John (1199-1216), improvements were carried out to the domestic buildings within the inner bailey, a defensive wall was constructed around the church and the outer curtain on the northern side of the castle was added. Between 1217 and 1256 Henry III spent 7500 pounds on improving the castle's defences. A great spur or outwork was dug to the north of a damaged gate at the curtain's northern apex. The spur was remodelled 1801-03 to include a brick redan. St John's Tower, built in the ditch between the redan and the castle in the 13th century, was modified and Fitzwilliam gateway was added on the north east side of the curtain. The outer further west curtain was extended and a new set of buildings for the King and his entourage were constructed. Little building work took place until the Austrian Wars of succession (1742 -48) when the derelict domestic buildings lining the inner bailey were converted into new barracks. In 1756 two new batteries were constructed and in 1779 a large powder magazine was constructed within the castle. During the Napoleonic Wars three bastion's were built to defend the eastern approach to the castle. In 1905 the obsolete Hospital Battery was converted to a fire command post by the Army, and in 1914 the Admiralty moved its Port War Signal Station to new quarters above it. During the Second World War a gun emplacement, a Type 28 pillbox and anti-tank obstacles were added. Dover Castle, schedule number 64. (7)

Medieval castle built on the site of an earlier Norman keep circa 1155. Around the keep are ranges of 18th century houses. Surrounding these ranges are 2 concentric rings of walls and towers dating from Medieval times. Beneath the castle are a whole series of subterranean passages dating from the 13th century and improved for defence during the Napoleonic period. Scheduled. (8)

The present castle is thought to have been constructed on the site of earlier fortifications possibly an Iron Age Hillfort with Anglo-Saxon modifications. The later modifications may have taken the form of a settlement, possibly centred on the Church of St Mary in Castro, defended by banks and ditches. There are documentary references to Dover being site of a pre-1066 castle. If it was on this site it may have adapted these earlier defences. Excavations south of the church in 1961-63 located a 11th century ditch under the 13th century defences.

It is feasible that the existing earthworks of the inner ward and those around the church may have evolved from an early Norman castle with a motte in the `waist' between the two. This would have left a large area enclosed by the Iron Age ramparts ready for later development. Henry II's remodelling of the defences allowed construction in the existing northern ward leaving the existing fortifications until the new work was nearly finished, whilst having additional protection from the prehistoric defences. Little is known of the castle during the reigns of either William II and Henry I.

The castle was remodelled and rebuilt during Henry II's reign, mainly supervised by Maurice `the ingeniator' forming a castle with concentric lines of defences, one of the first examples to be built in Western Europe. During the 1160s and 1170s work was piecemeal additions to existing defences. However, much of the Medieval castle which survives today, was constructed between 1179-88 and included the keep, walls of the inner bailey and the northeast section of the outer curtain, extending north from Avranches Tower. The keep was the last square royal keep to be constructed and measures 29.9 metres by 29.9 metres and 25. 3 metres high, the walls vary from 5.2 metres to 6.4 metres in thickness. There are three storeys which were linked by spiral stairs in the north east and southwest corners. The second floor contained the royal state apartments.

A further programme of modifications and additions took place during Henry III's reign, mainly between 1217-57, with work carried out in 1217-1221 supervised by Hubert de Burgh. Much of the work concentrated on strengthening the defences and included construction of St John's Tower to the north of the castle defences. The tower was linked to the castle by a tunnel, much of which was altered during the 18th century. Accommodation within the castle was also modernised and extended.

Limited work on the castle took place during 15th and 16th century but included modernisation of the main apartments in the late 15th century and the addition of gun batteries in the 16th century. Most of the 17th century was a period of decline for the castle, by 1690 it was in use as a prison to hold prisoners of war. This use continued until the 1740s.

A programme of moderisation started in the 1740s and was carried out by J P Desmaretz and included construction of barracks in 1745 and 1756. The strengthening and remodelling of the defences and construction of additional batteries also took place in 1756.

In a response to the Napoleonic Wars a major programme of modifying the castle and its defences took place, between 1794 and 1805, implemented by Leutenant Colonel William Twiss. This included installment of additional gun batteries and four powerful outworks, (Constable's Bastion to the East, Horseshoe Bastion, Hudson's Bastion, and the detached East Arrow Bastion), some of the latter linked to the castle by underground tunnels. Ashford Flank Caponier covered the Eastern ditch. The Spur was strengthened by a massive redan and the ditch behind flanked by brick caponiers. Caponiers were aldo built at the Constable's Gate and in the newly formed Canon's Gate at the South-West corner of the outer bailey. Alterations to the keep made it bombproof and heavy guns were installed on its roof. By 1810 the keep was in use as a gunpowder magazine. Barracks and a military hospital were also constructed within the castle. However, by 1797 due to severe space limitations excavations were started on underground accommodation. This eventually housed over 2000 soldiers.

In 1853 adaptations were made to the castle to protect it from new explosive shells. Additional barracks were also constructed and the existing ones improved. To protect the castle from higher ground to the north a detached fortresse, Fort Burgoyne, was built in 1860.

During World War One seachlights were installed on the keep, the keep was used as an armoury and armourers' workshop and light anti-aircraft guns were placed near the church. Vacant land within the castle was also given over to vegetable gardens due to food shortages.

In the interwar period the castle was used as the headquarters of the 12th Infantry Brigade and the Dover Garrison. Further barracks were constructed during the 1930s.

During World War two anti-aircraft guns were installed at the castle and the underground tunnels were used as a headquarters for the local forces. In 1940, following Dunkirk, the castle was provisioned to withstand a six week seige. Tank traps were installed, slit trenches excavated, new gun positions built and search lights installed.

Following the end of the second World War military activities within the castle were scaled down and by 1958 the last unit stationed here had moved out. (9-17)

Dover castle required constant repair and attention i n the reign of Elizabeth I. (18)

Additional source (19)

Additional source detailing Dover Castle's part in World War Two. (20)
An introduction to the defences of Dover, including the role of the castle. (21)

Fragment of 13th century red line masonry wall painting survives on the north wall of the ground floor .

In the Great Hall a small fragment of 14th century painted foliate decoration survivies on the west wall. It may have been part of a border used as an upper frieze to a large expanse of masonry pattern, or to frame a series of large narrative scenes.

The large 19th centruy Officers' Mess retains painted and drawn graffiti dating from around World War II. Most of the images consist of hand-drawn figures, faces and text in pencil. In addition a number of large figures and caricatures have been painted in bridge colours with a dark black outline. (22)

Noted in a gazetteer of Kent's Defences. (23)

Brief summary of the History of Dover castle, with details for visitors current 2009/2010. (24)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1961

( 2) C A Ralegh Radford 1953 Dover Castle [guide book]

C A Ralegh Radford, 1953.

( 3) Field Investigators Comments

F1 ASP 20-JUN-1964

( 4) List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest

Dover, 1st Amendment, 07-MAR-1974 685

( 5) C A Ralegh Radford 1959 Dover Castle [guide book]

C A Ralegh Radford, 1959

(6) R Allen Brown 1967 Dover Castle [guide book]

R Allen Brown, 1967.

( 7) by Department of the Environment, Ancient Monuments and Historic Buildings London 1978 List of ancient monuments in England: Volume 1, Northern England; Volume 2, Southern England; Volume 3, East Anglia and the Midlands

2 Page(s)112

( 8) Scheduled Monument Notification

14-DEC-1999

( 9) by D F Renn 1970 The Avranches traverse at Dover Castle

Archaeologia Cantiana : being contributions to the history and archaeology of Kentvol 1 (1858)- D F Renn 84 (1969) Page(s)79-92

( 10) by A M Cook, D C Mynard and S E Rigold 1969 Excavations at Dover Castle, principally in the inner bailey

Journal of the British Archaeological AssociationVol 129 (1976) - AM Cook, DC Mynard, SE Rigold. (1969) Page(s)54-104

( 11) by S E Rigold 1967 Excavations at Dover Castle [Kent] 1964-6

Journal of the British Archaeological AssociationVol 129 (1976) - SE Rigold 1969 Page(s)87-121

( 12) by Jonathan Coad 1989 Dover Castle 1898-1963: preservation of a monument. A postscript

Studies in medieval history presented to R. Allen Brown Jonathan Coad.

( 13) by James L Gillespie 1988 Dover Castle: key to Richard II's kingdom

Archaeologia Cantiana : being contributions to the history and archaeology of Kentvol 1 (1858)- 105 (1988)

( 14) by J G Coad, P N Lewis 1982 The later fortifications of Dover

Post-medieval archaeology : the journal of the Society for Post-Medieval Archaeologyvol 1 (1967) - JG Coad, PN Lewis. 16, 1982 Page(s)141-200

( 15) R Allen Brown, H M Colvin and A J Taylor 1963 The history of the King's Works, volume 1 : the Middle Ages

( 16) R Allen Brown, H M Colvin and A J Taylor 1963 The history of the King's Works, volume 2 : the Middle Ages

Page(s)629-41

( 17) by H M Colvin, D R Ransome and John Summerson 1975 The history of the King's Works, volume 3 : 1485-1660 (part 1)

( 18) by H M Colvin ... [et al] 1982 The history of the King's Works, volume 4 : 1485-1660 (Part 2)

( 19) Jonathan Coad 1995 English Heritage book of Dover Castle and the defences of Dover

Jonathan Coad, 1995.

( 20) J G Coad 1995 Hellfire Corner, Dover Castle's Secret Tunnels and the Dunkirk Evacuation

(21) Fortress Study Group Fort : the international journal of fortification and military architecture

6, 1978 Page(s)38-60

(22) Caroline Babington, Tracy Manning and Sophie Stewart 1999 Our painted past : wall paintings of English Heritage

(23) Kent's Defence Heritage

Gazetteer Part 1: KD41

(24) 2009 English Heritage Visitor Handbook 2009/10

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