Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

There are two large rooms of an unequal size located centrally within the Keep at Dover Castle across all floors and divided by a spine wall. The two at the second floor level are thought to have been the high status rooms within the Keep. These rooms are the mostly elaborately decorated in the castle, the eastern of these two is traditionally believed to have formed the Kings Hall. (location accurate to the nearest 1m based on available information)

Monument Types

• GREAT HALL (Medieval to Modern - 1181 AD to 2050 AD)

Full description

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The basic layout of two large central rooms with mural chambers within the thickness of the external walls was established when the great tower was constructed in the 12th century. At the second floor level these two principal rooms are distinguished by the most elaborate carved decoration in the building. The slightly larger room is to the east of the spine wall and is accessed from the main entrance and is thought to have been the location of the Kings Hall. Various alterations have been made to it since: for example in the reign of Edward IV (1461-83) a door in the spine wall was moved and a new plaster ceiling was installed for the visit of Henrietta Maria in 1625, parabolic brick vaults inserted in 1796 and the timber floors are considered to be 18th-century in date.

Communication between second floor and other levels of great tower is via spiral stairs in the southwest and northeast turrets. There is a 15th-century fireplace in east face of spine wall, heavily altered in 18th century, when it was subdivided; only the jambs survive from the 15th century. There are large embrasures in north and south walls. That in north has round-headed arch with angle shafts with stiff-leafed capitals. There is a 15th-century style 2-light window (renewed). Archaeological evidence suggests possibility of 12th century balcony arrangement at window allowing view over entrance to forebuilding. There is a vaulted mural passage in north wall which leads (under north window embrasure) to garderobe. The south embrasure has east and west doorways within it. The east doorway leads to southeast mural chamber and then on to upper chapel in second floor of southeast tower of forebuilding. The west door leads to barrel-vaulted mural chamber with opposing doorways, opening inwards, and allowing communication between hall and chamber. The rear side of east wall is rebuilt in brick, while the west door appears to be a 15th-century insertion. In the south-east corner is a brick-lined 18th/early 19thcent. opening from a mural chamber formed within the width of a large 12th-century former opening. The purpose of the original large opening is unknown but its size suggests it had more than a pragmatic purpose. (summerised from sources) (1-2)

Eight Samples from the timbers in Henry II's Keep at Dover Castle were analysed by tree-ring dating. This analysis produced a single site chronology of 141 rings spanning the period A.D. 1101- A.D. 1241. (3)

<1> English Heritage, 2014, Dover Castle Conservation Management Plan Volume 2 Gazetteer (Unpublished document). SKE52105.

<2> Johnathan Coad, 1995, English Heritage Book of Dover Castle and the Defences of Dover (Monograph). SKE52106.

<3> Centre for Archaeology, 2001, Tree-Ring Analysis of Timbers from Dover Castle Keep, Dover Castle, Dover (Unpublished document). SKE12163.

Sources and further reading

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