Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

The site of a crane is noted on numerous post medieval cartographic sources. This is the earlier of two former cranes, the second replacing the first but in a different location further north. (location accurate to the nearest 50m based on available information)

Monument Types

• CRANE (Medieval to Post Medieval - 1500 AD? to 1580 AD?)

Full description

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The site of a crane is noted on numerous post medieval cartographic sources. It is thought to have originally been a mound of beach, revetted with timbers on which a crane was built. It was likely to have been part of Thompson’s scheme of works on Dover harbour which were undertaken between 1535 and 1551. By 1539, the south pier (part of Clerks works on the harbour which were completed pre 1535) had already been extended and had a total length of 500 feet, this did not however, resolve the reoccurring problem of harbour silting. Work on the harbour therefore, continued and the next stage, undertaken between 1539 and 1540, comprised a right angled jetty at the eastern end of the southern works and a northern projection from this with a wide head devised to mount a crane. The location of this crane had an important role in shaping the 16th century developments of the Harbour. Part of Thompsons developments involved the extension of clerks pier; in 1540 the extension of a jetty on the eastern side of clerks pier to meet the Crane Head was built, this formed an outer harbour that sheltered vessels from easterly winds. The harbour created by this extension was known as the 'bight' but was later to become the foundation of the outer or tidal harbour. (1-3)

Three plans of Dover harbour produced by Thomas Digges, depict the location of this Crane Head. On the first plan, which dates to 1581, before the third (Elizabethan) phase of development of the harbour had been completed, the crane head is labelled 'The Crane', suggesting that at this time the crane was still present. (4) The second plan, dating to 1588, after major works had been completed on the Great Pent, also shows the crane head, this time in greater detail; the timber revetments are clearly visible. It is also labelled on this plan, this time the label reads ‘Ould Crane Head’, this alongside the fact that a new crane is visible on this plan to the north, suggests that the crane is no longer present by 1588. (5) The third and final plane by Digges dates to 1595, after all of the major Elizabethan works on Dover Harbour had been completed, on this the crane head is again labelled ‘The Place of the Old Crane’. (6)

Numerous further historic cartographic sources depict the former location of this crane, including that by John Symonds dating to 1583-1584 (7)

<1> M. S. Johnson, 2015, Historic Timber-built Seacoast Piers of Eastern England: Technological, Environmental and Social Contexts (Unpublished document). SKE32003.

<2> Maritime Archaeology, 2008, Dover Terminal 2 EIA: Historic Environment Baseline Report (Unpublished document). SKE31717.

<3> Alec Macdonald, 1937, Archaeologia Cantiana: Plans of Dover Harbour in the Sixteenth Century Vol. 49 (Article in serial). SKE31789.

<4> Thomas Digges, 1581, The State of Dover Haven (Map). SKE31984.

<5> Thomas Digges, 1588, Plan of Work at Dover Harbour (Map). SKE31986.

<6> Thomas Digges, 1595, The state of Dover Haven with the New workes (Map). SKE31987.

<7> John Symonds, 1583-1584, Dover Harbour (Map). SKE32347.

Sources and further reading