Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Dover Town Station was originally constructed in 1844 by South Eastern Railway Company upon the former site of Townsend battery, along Beach Street. It was in use as a terminus for those travelling from London until the first decade of the 20th century. By the start of the First World War a combination of factors, including rival companies, fuel shortages and the construction of Dover Marine and Priory Stations nearby, lead to the closure of this station. By 1965 it had been completely demolished and the area is now in use as a lorry park. (location accurate to the nearest 10m based on available information)

Monument Types

• RAILWAY STATION (Demolished, Post Medieval to Modern - 1844 AD to 1965 AD)
• TRAIN SHED (Demolished, Post Medieval to Modern - 1844 AD to 1921 AD)

Full description

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The building was constructed by South Eastern Railway Company upon the former site of Townsend battery, along Beach Street. As built Dover train station’s trainshed was 300-feet long, 30-feet wide and 20-feet high, within a self-assured Classical building whose exterior presented three storeys on the north western façade along Beach Street, the lower two boasting an arcade, each arch with a tall rectangular window above it on the upper storey. The arcading continued south west wards along Beach Street behind the booking hall, waiting rooms and other facilities that lined the platform beneath the trainshed. It spanned six lines with the passenger platform on the north side, the other lines were used for goods or stabling coaching stock. There were three turn-plates in the centre of the train shed, two at the eastern end and another three at the western end. A loading dock was located on the south side in a single storey extension. The line was completed by 27 January 1844 and the trial run was hauled by the 2-2-2 steam locomotive number 36 Shakespeare. The next day the railway opened to public traffic and according to the Railway Times of 24 February, six trains a day were provided in each direction. Between 08.00hrs until 17.30hrs from London and 07.00hrs until 18.50hrs from Dover. By the 1850’s the railway was beginning to eclipse coach travel as the best form of transport. Charles Dickens first travelled on a train to Dover when he was going to Paris in 1851, having previously undertaken the journey by mail coach. He was astounded by both the comfort and the speed but asked what has SER ‘done with all the horrible little villages we used to pass through, in the diligence? (A Flight published 1851). The miners strike which began in March 1912 created a national fuel shortage and railway companies were hit hard, Town station was closed in 1914 and was used throughout the war as an ambulance station and mortuary, while the newly constructed Marine Station was commandeered for military use. By 1921 the train shed had been demolished and the remaining associated buildings were demolished in 1963. The site is now a lorry park and the old platform has been re used as a car loading dock. (1-2) The location of the station on Beach street is visible on a number of historic cartographic sources (3-5)

Evaluation prior to redevelopment of the Town Yard site. The evaluation demonstrated that areas of early post Medieval buildings and deposits do survive. The most extensive remains relating to the former railway station were concrete foundations and cambered brick floors which probably relate to a large covered railway shed, with lined inspection pits, of mid 20th century date. Further traces of a similar building was also found including a brick lined pit (for engine turntable) and what presumably was footings for the station platform. The railway station was linked to the Lord Warden Hotel which provided lodging for passangers before continuing their journey to London or to France.(6-7)

<1> Nick Catford and Lorraine Sencicle, 2017, Disused Stations - Site record - Dover Town (Website). SKE51694.

<2> Lorraine Sencicle, 2014, The Dover Historian - South Eastern Railway Company and Town Station (Website). SKE51693.

<3> Landmark, Ordnance Survey 1:2,500 map (OS 1st edition 1862-1875): Landmark Epoch 1 (Map). SKE30964.

<4> Landmark, Ordnance Survey 1:2,500 map (OS 2nd Edition, 1897-1900): Landmark Epoch 2 (Map). SKE30965.

<5> Landmark, 1907-1923, Ordnance Survey 1:2,500 map (OS 3rd Edition, 1907-1923) (Map). SKE30966.

<6> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 2000, Town Yard, Dover Western Docks: Archaeological Impact Assessment (Unpublished document). SKE8244.

<7> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 2002, Report on Archaeological Evaluation Trenching at Town Yard, Dover Western Docks (Unpublished document). SKE8245.

Sources and further reading

Related records