Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

The curtain wall surrounding the inner bailey of Dover castle is part of the earliest Medieval works at the castle and though they were altered in the 18th and 19th centuries, much of the medieval material and their essential character has been preserved. The western part of the curtain extends from the King’s Gateway to the Palace Gate, and has three mural towers. (location accurate to the nearest 1m based on available information).

Monument Types

• CURTAIN WALL (Medieval to Modern - 1181 AD to 2050 AD)
• TOWER (Disused, Medieval to Modern - 1181 AD to 2050 AD)

Full description

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The curtain wall surrounding the inner bailey of Dover castle is part of the earliest Medieval works at the castle and though they were altered in the 18th and 19th centuries, much of the medieval material and their essential character has been preserved. The western part of the curtain extends from the King’s Gateway to the Palace Gate, and has three mural towers.

Originally the three mural towers were open backed, and as illustrated by Bereblock in the 1560s the walls were crenellated, but these were removed when the parapets were reformed. Externally the walls and towers have a battered base, but few openings except for pairs of loops in the front or side walls of the towers (likely to date from the 1850s). There is a vertical seam of ashlar masonry where the wall changes direction between the second and third mural towers. Internally there is an open section of the rear of the wall running south from the King’s Gate, and the first mural tower has been infilled at the back with a wall and large round arch. The remainder is mostly obscured by C18th/C19th buildings (now a Café and Shop) though the yard between them has steps rising from the inner bailey yard to the level of the wallwalk, and access to the tower interior. The entire parapet and tower tops are levelled and there are steps from the parapet up to the towers. (summarised from sources) (1-3)

<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 English Heritage, 2014, Dover Castle Conservation Management Plan Volume 2 Gazetteer (Unpublished document).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> John Bereblock, 1570, John Bereblock's view of Dover Castle (Cartographic materials). SKE52107.

Sources and further reading

Related records