Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

A horseshoe shaped earthwork and low wall are located around the southern side of the Church of St Mary and the Roman tower. The first wall here was constructed in the reign of King John (1199-1216), though the massive earthwork which occupies this space today is a later replacement of an earlier earthwork, built after the great siege, in around 1227. As indicated by documentary and archaeological evidence this was originally topped with a timber palisade which was replaced by a stone wall in 1256. (location accurate to the nearest 1m based on available information)

Monument Types

• EARTHWORK (Medieval to Modern - 1227 AD to 2050 AD)
• WALL (Altered, Medieval to Modern - 1256 AD to 2050 AD)

Full description

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A horseshoe shaped earthwork and low wall are located around the southern side of the Church of St Mary and the Roman tower. The first wall here was constructed in the reign of King John (1199-1216), though the massive earthwork which occupies this space now is a later replacement, built after the great siege, in around 1227. As indicated by documentary and archaeological evidence this was originally topped with a timber palisade which was replaced by a stone wall in 1256. The surviving elements are all part of the 13th century works, though excavations by Martin Biddle in the early 1960s just south of the Church of St Mary in Castro revealed that the present massive bank overlies a very substantial bank and ditch of mid-11th century date. A completed this wall would have continued towards the west to join with Colton’s gate and then onto the outer curtain and would have been far more substantial. Today only the footings are still present. Summarised from sources (1-2) The bank and the ditch are clearly visisble on an 18th century plan of the castle (1756) (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 English Heritage, 2014, Dover Castle Conservation Management Plan Volume 2 Gazetteer (Unpublished document).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> Unknown, 1756, Plan of Dover Castle dated 1756 (Plan). SKE52162.

Sources and further reading

Related records