Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

During works associated with the A20 road and sewer scheme, a Medieval tower was located on the eastern side of Bench Street, Dover. Hasted (1800) believed that this tower formed part of the old church of St. Nicholas, yet on the evidence of the nineteenth century drawings and descriptions, the structure was clearly defensive, with a machicolated parapet and an entrance guarded by portcullis on the western side. (Location accurate to the nearest 1m based on available information).

Monument Types

• TOWER (Medieval - 1200 AD? to 1399 AD?)

Full description

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The Medieval Bench Street tower survived until 1836 and has been the source of much speculation by local historians. Still standing some 12m high in the nineteenth century, the structure proved to be fairly difficult to demolish but was eventually removed using gunpowder. Hasted (1800) believed, wrongly, that this tower formed part of the old church of St. Nicholas, yet on the evidence of the nineteenth century drawings and descriptions, the structure was clearly defensive, with a machicolated parapet and an entrance guarded by portcullis on the western side. Since its demolition there has been a considerable amount of confusion about this structure, not least of which has concerned its precise location. Archaeological excavations during the winter of 1991/92, conducted whilst Bench Street was still in regular use, succeeded in locating the western side of a structure with mortared chalk foundations some 1.86 m. in width and 1.65 m. deep. From their substantial size and general location it seems certain that these foundations represent the base of the tower. Subsequent work revealed the base of the foundations cutting through a well defined series of earlier Medieval deposits mostly of twelfth century date. These included a complex succession of rammed chalk floors, seemingly relating to an earlier series of timber buildings, similar to those recorded on the Crypt Restaurant site opposite and at the Townwall Street filling station site in 1996. The precise purpose of the tower remains unclear but a detailed study of the excavation records, the information recorded by nineteenth century historians and the architectural details shown on contemporary drawings should help define things more clearly. (taken from source) (1-2).

<1> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 2001, Dover Sewers/A20 Project 1991–3, Assessment Report and Updated Project Design (Unpublished document). SKE31815.

<2> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 1991-1992, Canterbury's Archaeology, Sites Outside Canterbury 1991-1992 (Article in serial). SKE31645.

Sources and further reading