Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

The presence of a crane is noted on a number of cartographic sources dating to the post Medieval period. This crane is a possible replacement of an earlier crane, located to the south on a mound within the tidal harbour. This one is located on the eastern side of the 'Paradise Pent' (location accurate to the nearest 50m based on available information)

Monument Types

• CRANE (Post Medieval - 1588 AD? to 1641 AD?)

Full description

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The presence of a crane is noted on a number of cartographic sources dating to the post medieval period. This crane is a possible replacement of an earlier crane, located to the south on a mound within the tidal harbour. This one is located on the eastern side of the 'Paradise Pent'.

This crane first appears on a map produced by Thomas Digges dating to 1588, and which coincides with the third phase of late Medieval/early post medieval development of Dover harbour (the first being Clerks Pier and second Thompsons). It is also clearly present on a later map by Thomas Digges dating to 1595, and Eldred’s plan of Dover town and harbour which dates to 1641. (1-3)

Further historic cartographic sources that include a depiction of this post medieval crane include that by Foquet dating to 1737 (4), Hogben dating to 1769 (5)

<1> Thomas Digges, 1588, Plan of Work at Dover Harbour (Map). SKE31986.

<2> Thomas Digges, 1595, The state of Dover Haven with the New workes (Map). SKE31987.

<3> William Eldred, 1641, The Platt of Dover Castle Towne and Harbor (Map). SKE31804.

<4> J. Foquet, 1737, Plan of the town, harbour and fortifications of Dover (Map). SKE31991.

<5> Thomas and Henry Hogben, 1769, The topography and Mensuration of Dover Pier, Harbour, Houses and Lands from DHB (Map). SKE31992.

Sources and further reading