Exploring Kent's Past

It should not be assumed that this site is publicly accessible and it may be on private property. Do not trespass.

Monument details

Summary

St Marys Church, originally a 12th century building with 13th and 19th century additions and alterations, located on the eastern side of Cannon Street in its associated graveyard. The building is currently (2019) in a good condition (location accurate to the nearest 1m based on available information)

Monument Types

• BUILDING (C12th- C19th, Medieval to Modern - 1100 AD? to 2050 AD)

Full description

If you do not understand anything on this page please contact us.

Parish Church located on the north eastern side of Cannon Street. It is built on the site of a Roman hypocausted structure which has been revealed in a number of locations within the churchyard and beneath the church itself and a Saxon church on the site mentioned in Domesday Book. The oldest part of the present structure is Norman. Early C12 west tower and four bays of the arcades but aisles, remainder of the nave and chancel dated to the C19th and is by J C and C Buckler in Early English style. Built of flint with stone dressings. West tower is square of five stages surmounted by spire with weathervane. Arcading on the west face, increasingly rich towards the top. Colonnettes with block capitals, arches with a series of scallops. Plain renewed west doorway with shafts. Aisles have lancet windows. Most stained glass windows were lost during the Second War. In the interior the tower arch has recessed shafts and a roll. The three west bays of the Norman nave arcades are early C12 and a further bay is almost contemporary but has a simpler base moulding. Round piers, scallop capitals and square abaci. C13 stained glass window to gallery. Norman octagonal Purbeck stone font bowl but remainder renewed. 1638 brass and a good series of C18 wall monuments. The remainder of the nave, aisles and chancel are of 1843-4. C19 pews. There is a listed WWI memorial located in the churchyard on the western side of the church. It is commemorating those parishioners and members of the congregation of Dover’s parish church of St Mary the Virgin who died in the First World War, was unveiled on 24 November 1921 by Lt-Col CM Davidson, and dedicated by the Bishop of Dover. The memorial is similar in form to the Blomfield Cross of Sacrifice. The differences are subtle. It is a tall stone cross, with an octagonal shaft and arms. The front face of the cross head is decorated with the letters IHS, intertwined. The moulded foot of the shaft stands on an octagonal plinth. That stands on two low, octagonal, steps. The whole is raised on a low square base. Five faces of the plinth carry bronze plaques. The principal dedicatory inscription on the front face reads TO THE GLORY/ OF/ GOD/ AND IN AFFECTIONATE/ MEMORY OF THE MEN/ OF ST MARY’S PARISH AND/ CONGREGATION WHO/ GAVE THEIR LIVES/ FOR GOD, KING AND/ COUNTRY IN THE/ GREAT WAR 1914-1918. The other four plaques, two either side of the front face and alternating large and small, bear the commemorated names. The 170 names are listed in no particular order .Overall the church is in a good condition and is a good surviving upstanding Medieval building. (1)

<1> Kent County Council, 2019, Historic building condition asseesment and photographic survey of Dover Town Centre (Unpublished document). SKE52120.

Sources and further reading

Related records