Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Roman pharos was situated on the Western Heights at Dover and was known as Bredenstone and Caesar's Altar in the 16th and 17th century and Devil's Drop in the 18th century. The structure has been in a ruinous state since the post medieval period and was completely removed with the construction Drop Redoubt. During the construction of the barracks in 1861 the foundations were discovered. Today the site of the lighthouse is marked by two fragments of flint walling, each a metre square, the flints bonded with pink Roman cement. They are not in situ but rest upon a concrete slab, contained by railings. (location accurate to the nearest 10m based on available information)

Monument Types

• LIGHTHOUSE (LIGHTHOUSE, Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Full description

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Roman Pharos (Site of) Roman pharos was situated on the Western Heights at Dover and was known as Bredenstone and Caesar's Altar in the 16th and 17th century and Devil's Drop in the 18th century. The latter name is perpetuated in "Drop Redoubt" the structure built on the site of the lighthouse. (1) The Roman Pharos dissapeared with the construction Drop Redoubt but during the construction of the barracks in 1861 the foundations were discovered. (2) The site of the lighthouse is marked by two fragments of flint walling, each a metre square, the flints bonded with pink Roman cement They are not in situ but rest upon a concrete slab, contained by railings. The position agrees with that given by Authority 1. (3) The lighthouse may be dated to the 1st-2nd century AD. (4-7) A Roman pharos stood on Western Heights until the 17th century, but gradually it fell to pieces until the construction of the Drop Redoubt in 1861 obscured most of what survived, except for a miserable amorphous mass of concrete.

In 1861, during the construction of new barracks within the Redoubt, other portions of the Roman structure were uncovered comprising a soilid platform, about 4m in height, of flint and ragstone with a bonding course of tile, some possibly re-used, resting on a flint foudation, offset by about 2m. The exposed eastern face of the structure was 4-5m in diameter and was removed during the progress of the works. It is uncertain whether a complete plan of the sturcture was uncovered but it was noted to be probably of hexagonal plan. (10)

From the National Heritage list of England:

The lighthouse on Western Heights is one of a pair constructed in around the 1st century AD on the headlands flanking either side of the major Roman port of Dubris to help guide in cross-channel traffic. Its foundations survive as two 1m square blocks of flint, tile and mortar which were apparently moved to their present location on the eastern side of the Drop Redoubt during construction of the officers' quarters in 1850. However, the remains are close to their original position.

<1> Arch J 86 1930 40-46 (REM Wheeler) (OS Card Reference). SKE36745.

<1> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 1990, Dover Western Heights: Grand Shaft Barracks: An Interim Archaeological Assessment Preparatory to Evaluation (Unpublished document). SKE6727.

<2> Doug Crellin, 1973, Kent Archaeological Review: Dovers 19th Century Fortifications-Part 2. Vol. 33 (Article in serial). SKE31850.

<3> F1 ASP 22.05.64 (OS Card Reference). SKE42227.

<4> Ex of the Ro Forts of the Class Brit at Dover 1970-77 1981 7-9 (B Philp) (OS Card Reference). SKE41677.

<5> Lighthouses, Their Archit Hist and Arch 1975 7 62 64 65 66 (DB Hague R Christie) (OS Card Reference). SKE46133.

<6> Arch Cant 87 1972 40 (SE Rigold) (OS Card Reference). SKE35920.

<7> Arch J 19 1862 86-87 (W Clayton) (OS Card Reference). SKE36590.

<9> Field report for monument TR 34 SW 16 - May, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE5965.

Sources and further reading