Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

The Chapel of St Mary or Our Lady of Pity (also Our Lady of the Rock, 1532) stood on the shore to the east of Archcliffe or Arcliffe Fort (at TR 31504027) and is said to have been built by a northern nobleman on the place where he had been shipwrecked. It is first mentioned in 1530 when it was repaired by Joachim de Vaux, the French Ambassador, after having survived being shipwrecked. The chapel was served by John de Ponte, a Friar, who was in 1538 imprisoned byt eh Mayor of Dover Ralph Buffkyn, because he was said to communicate with the French during the war by keeping lights burning in the chapel at night. Work at the harbour undermined the place, and the chapel was probably carried away in a storm of 1576. The place where it stood was still called in 1798 Old Chapel and Chapel Plain. The burying ground was still extant in 1819.

Monument Types

• CHAPEL (Earlier than 1530, Medieval to Post Medieval - 1066 AD? to 1576 AD?)

Full description

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The Chapel of St Mary or Our Lady of Pity (also Our Lady of the Rock, 1532) stood on the shore to the east of Archcliffe or Arcliffe Fort (at TR 31504027) and is said to have been built by a northern nobleman on the place where he had been shipwrecked. It is first mentioned in 1530 when it was repaired by Joachim de Vaux, the French Ambassador, after having survived being shipwrecked. The chapel was served by John de Ponte, a Friar, who was in 1538 imprisoned by the Mayor of Dover Ralph Buffkyn, because he was said to communicate with the French during the war by keeping lights burning in the chapel at night. Work at the harbour undermined the place, and the chapel was probably carried away in a storm of 1576. The place where it stood was still called in 1798 Old Chapel and Chapel Plain. The burying ground was still extant in 1819. (1)

Additional Information (2 - 11)

<1> Hussey, A., 1911, Archaeologia Cantiana Vol. 29. Chapels in Kent, Arch Cant 29 1911 233 (A Hussey) (Article in serial). SKE8032.

<2> Stratham, S. P. H., 1899, History of Dover, Hist of Dover 1899 207-208 (Statham) (Monograph). SKE7834.

<3> Hasted, E, 1800, The History and Topographical Survey of the County of Kent: Volume 9, Hist of Kent 9 1798 536 (E Hasted) (Monograph). SKE7835.

<4> Decription of Dover 1819 11 (Horn) (OS Card Reference). SKE39701.

<5> Annals of Dover 1916 86 (J Jones) (OS Card Reference). SKE33100.

<6> Rigden, T., 1844, A Short History of Dover, Short Hist of Dover 1844 27 (T Rigden) (Monograph). SKE7833.

<7> F1 ASP 19-MAY-64 (OS Card Reference). SKE42188.

<8> Phillips, A., 1964, Field report Our Lady of Pity Chapel TR 34 SW 67 - May, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE6011.

<9> Southern Water Services, 1993, Dover & Folkestone Wastewater Treatment scheme Environmental Statement (Unpublished document). SKE6815.

<10> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 1996, Archaeological Observations at Archcliffe Fort, Dover 1996 (Unpublished document). SKE7829.

<11> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 1997, Further Archaeological Observations at Archcliffe Fort, Dover (Unpublished document). SKE7830.

Sources and further reading