Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Hudson’s Bastion, which is located on the north eastern side of Dover Castles outer defences, was constructed in the 1790’s as part of a major phase of redevelopment of the castle. It is one of four bastions constructed in this area during this period and was designed to take advantage of the salient angle and to provide flanking fire between Horseshoe and East Demi-Bastions. Access to Hudson’s bastion was provided by Hudson’s Passage, a long tunnel extending beneath the ramparts and connecting the inner part of the castle with the east ditch. (location accurate to the nearest 1m based on available information)

Monument Types

• BASTION (Disused, Post Medieval to Modern - 1790 AD to 2050 AD)
• TUNNEL (Disused, Post Medieval to Modern - 1790 AD to 2050 AD)

Full description

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Hudson’s Bastion, which is located on the north eastern side of Dover Castles outer defences, was constructed in the 1790’s as part of a major phase of redevelopment of the castle. It is one of four bastions constructed in this area during this period and was designed to take advantage of the salient angle and to provide flanking fire between Horseshoe and East Demi-Bastions. Access to Hudson’s bastion was provided by Hudson’s Passage, a long tunnel extending beneath the ramparts and connecting the inner part of the castle with the east ditch.

It consists of a large earthwork with three main sides facing away from the castle towards the north, northeast and south-east. To the rear is large brick strongpoint which was largely or entirely added in the 1850s. The interior has the typical character of a 19th-cent. fortification with good-quality, painted brick walls, high vaulted ceilings, plain stone stairs, large doors and stone floors. Other surviving features include part of a short drawbridge over a pit and a shaft within the bank (possibly a well or latrine) and another short passage leading to a platform cut into the rear of the counterscarp bank. The communication passage between the main castle and the bastion also allowed access to the ditch but this section was much altered in the 1850s to allow for the Ashford Flank Caponier. Summarised from sources (1-2)

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 English Heritage, 2014, Dover Castle Conservation Management Plan Volume 2 Gazetteer (Unpublished document).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

Sources and further reading

Related records