Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

GII* Listed Building; originally constructed in the 14th century as a gatehouse to St. Martins Priory which was founded Archbishop Corbeuil at this site in 1131. The building was later re-used as a school library after it was restored by G E Street in 1880. (location accurate to the nearest 1m based on available information)

Monument Types

• BENEDICTINE MONASTERY (Medieval - 1300 AD? to 1399 AD?)
• GATEHOUSE (Medieval - 1300 AD? to 1399 AD?)
• LIBRARY (Post Medieval to Modern - 1880 AD to 2050 AD)

Full description

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GII* Listed Building; originally constructed in the 14th century as a gatehouse to St. Martins Priory which was founded Archbishop Corbeuil at this site in 1131. The building was later re-used as a school library after it was restored by G E Street in 1880. It is built of flint with stone dressings and renewed hipped tiled roof; two storeys, the west part is lower; 3 windows. Traceried windows except for west part which has a C19 triple window, round-headed on first floor. Drip moulding above two windows. Central pointed arch with external chimney stack to left. (1)

Gatehouse, built or rebuilt late 13th century, restored 1881, with chamber over, now school library.(2)

Despite some alterations and development on the site in the past, St Martin’s Priory survives well. The refectory and gatehouse, though altered, are still extant and upstanding remains of other priory buildings also survive. Together with below-ground archaeological remains, these will provide valuable evidence for the original ground plan and layout of the priory. The site will contain below-ground archaeological and environmental information relating to the construction, history and use of the priory.

History

The priory gatehouse, now Dover College library, is located at the south-west extremity of the site. It was built in the 14th century and restored in the 19th century. The building is constructed of flint with stone dressings and a renewed hipped tiled roof. It is of two storeys with a lower part to the west. There are three windows including two pointed windows with surviving tracery and hood moulding. However that in the lower floor of the west part of the gatehouse is a 19th century round-headed window. The entrance through the gatehouse is by a central pointed archway.

A religious house was originally founded in the Saxon burgh at Dover Castle by King Eadbald of Kent (616-640) for 22 secular canons. In 696, King Wihtred transferred the canons to a new church dedicated to St Martin in part of the area of Dover now occupied by Market Square. They remained there for the following centuries and the names and possessions of the canons are recorded in the Domesday Book. In 1130, Henry I gave a Charter to Archbishop Corbeil of Canterbury to allow him to build a priory in the town and appropriate the assets of the existing church of St Martin. The new priory was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary and St Martin and was called ‘St Martin's of the New Work’, or ‘Newark’, to distinguish it from the old church. Augustinian canons were initially introduced but in about 1143 Archbishop Theobald established Benedictine rule. The priory was closed in 1535 as part of the Dissolution of the Monasteries. The land was granted to Archbishop Cranmer in 1538 who leased it to Henry Bingham of Wingham.

Some of the buildings were dismantled but others were adapted to agricultural use. In the late 19th century, Dover College was established on the site and the remaining priory buildings were ‘restored’ by the architect George Edmund Street. A small excavation was carried out on the site in 1979 but no priory buildings were located. The priory gatehouse, the refectory and the remains of the cloisters to the west of the refectory are Grade II* listed. (3)

The GIS polygon associated with this record does not represent the full extent or curtilage of the listed building but merely defines the outline of the building. For further information on the extent of the listed building please contact Dover District Council.

<1> English Heritage, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest (Map). SKE16160.

<2> English Heritage, Register of Scheduled Monuments (Scheduling record). SKE16191.

<3> Historic England, National Heritage List for England (Index). SKE29372.

Sources and further reading

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