DOVER

 

The name comes from 'Dubra'. meaning The Waters, which refers to the River Dour here. The river was navigable well inland (Caesar sailed up it in 55 BC), but began to silt up in Norman times. The original settlement was known to the Romans as Dubris.

Dover is known as the 'Gateway to England', and its' main attraction is the majestic castle, sitting high on top of the famous White Cliffs, overlooking both the town and the Eastern Docks, where the cross-channel ferries ply their trade.

There has been a fortress on the site of Dover Castle since the Iron Age, and probably before. There was a Roman fortress, with a pharos, or lighthouse, that still stands, and later, a Norman motte and bailey with a giant earthwork that again, still is evident. The castle seen today, was begun in the 12th. century reign of Henry II.

At the other end of the harbour area, are the Western Docks, once the terminus of the boat-train service to France, the Western Docks have recently seen a return of the bigger cruise liners.

Between the two docking harbours, is the inner harbour, with a very pleasant promenade and a memorial garden, recognising heroes and events, not always military ones.

The sinking of the Townsend Thoresen Cross-channel ferry, Herald Of Free Enterprise, shook us all. We never thought it could happen. Despite having to cross the busiest shipping lane in the world, the Dover/continent ferries had always been so safe. I myself, lost count of how many times I'd travelled across with my motorcycle on Free Enterprise ships.

She was a roll-on/roll-off (RORO) ferry which capsized moments after leaving the Belgian port of Zeebrugge on the night of 6 March 1987, killing 193 passengers and crew. 

The ship left harbour with her bow door open, and the sea immediately flooded the decks; within minutes, she was lying on her side in shallow water. The immediate cause of the capsizing was found to be negligence by the assistant boatswain, who was asleep in his cabin when he should have been closing the bow door. However, the official inquiry placed more blame on his supervisors and a general culture of poor communication in Townsend Thoresen. 

Now, Captain Matthew Webb. He was an English swimmer and stuntman. He is the first recorded person to swim the English Channel for sport without the use of artificial aids. In 1875, Webb swam from Dover to Calais in less than 22 hours. This made him a celebrity, and he performed many stunts in public. He died trying to swim the Whirlpool Rapids below Niagara Falls, a feat declared impossible.

Operation Fuller as a counter-attack to prevent the German 'Channel Dash'. The Channel Dash (German: Unternehmen Zerberus, Operation Cerberus) was a German naval operation during the Second World War using the Scharnhorst, Gneisenau and Prinz Eugen warships.  The memorial is a tribute to all the forces that took part

The above plaque is self-explanatory, I think

This one a fitting tribute to all the Merchant Navy Seamen who lost their lives during the wars

Memorial to Charles Stewart Rolls, yes, him of Rolls-Royce fame. He was primarily a keen aviator, who eventually died doing what he loved best - flying. He was only the second Briton to go up in an aeroplane (in 1908), and he became the first man to make a non-stop double crossing of the English Channel by plane taking 95 minutes on 2 June 1910. For this feat, which included the first eastbound aerial crossing of the English Channel, he was awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Aero Club.

The World War I army memorial, called 'Every One Remembered' by Mark Humphrey

This is the monument to all the people who have dared to swim the Channel.

And this one is to remember those who have helped make Dover famous. From left to right: Jamie Clark, who carried the 2012 Olympic Torch from the Stavros sailing ship onto the Dover lifeboat and thence onto British soil, Dame Vera Lynn, who apparently was famous for getting American birds to fly over the White Cliffs :D and Bond, James Bond, of course his biographer lived just round the corner in St. Margaret's Bay.

Next to these figures, a plaque in the ground and an embedded line, marking the start and finish of the North Downs Way National Trail, which forms 'an inspirational journey through Kent an Surrey' from Dover to Farnham

Finally, just off the seafront, stands the Royal Rifles Memorial, commemorating those who fell during the 19th. century Indian campaign.

Behind the monument, is the underpass leading under the very busy A20 main London road, and some very attractive Art Deco style lamp posts.

The Underpass itself has very attractive murals, depicting the kinds of ships which have sailed into Dover over the years. 

Before leaving the seafront, just walk across to the seaward side here, and you will notice a strange phenomenon - bubbles! This is where the River Dour, which flows through Dover, enters the sea, and the fresh chalk stream water meets the salty sea.. At high tide, they are not so noticeable, but at low tide, the bubbles come up through the pebbles! 

Just behind the seafront, stands the elegant Camden Crescent. 

It must have been  desirable place to live, as it has two plaques in a very short row of houses., one to a footballer, and the other to our old friend Charles Dickens, who actually lived in a part of the crescent that has been demolished. 

This is a statue to the miners of the Kent Coalfields which have all now disappeared. It used to stand outside Richborough Power Station, which was fed by coal from the Kent pits. It was moved to the seafront as a  temporary placement, but has now been moved to a new Country Park at the former Betteshanger Colliery.

So, back to the town itself.....................

Town centre pub, the Lord Nelson, now modernised and called the Riverside Bar. At least they've left the mural in place! Nelson was a regular visitor to Dover, spending a great deal of time staying in nearby Deal.

In Market Square, now thankfully pedestrianised, is this unusual water feature that you can walk through. The water jets are so fine, it looks like smoke

At one corner of Market Square, stands this quaint house, which Dickens mentions in David Copperfield, as being where David sat on the doorstep and ate a loaf of bread!

In the opposite corner is the Dover Museum, which as well as being free to enter, is well worth a visit. Having deftly passed through the Gift shop (don't worry, they'll get you on the way out!), you enter the ground floor exhibition, which is dedicated to the archelogical finds they have turned up in Dover.

Up to the second floor, and this is where they have changing exhibits. Currently it is Games and Pastimes down through the ages. 

Onward and up, and the top floor holds their prize exhibit. No, not the polar bear, but the oldest sea-going boat ever found! The Bronze Age remains are remarkable for something that's nearly 4,000 years old. It is much bigger than I expected to see, and the mud it was found in has preserved a large portion of wood and rope. It measures some 31ft. in length, but was probably longer than that, the rest not being found.

Back out into the sunshine, and still in the square, is the Old Dover Bank. Now the original was built on the former site of the monastery church of St. Martin-Le-Grand, using flints taken from the walls. It was partly destroyed by enemy shelling during World War II, and rebuilt in 1957/8

Each of the doors has something unusual above them.....

Walking up Cannon Street, you start to come across the curious and odd, and find a surprising number of medieval buildings still standing.  The first of these is St. Mary's Church.

There was a church on this site in Saxon times, but this was largely rebuilt in the 19th. century. The church has major connections with the Lord Wardens of the Cinque Ports and is much used for ceremonial services.

This bear, found high on the wall of a shop, apparently once graced a tobacco shop

And I have no idea what this carving is either on, or about (other than the date), but it is a fine piece nevertheless

Pass through St. Edmunds Walk, and you will find St. Edmund's Chapel, almost swallowed up by the newer buildings in the town. Measuring only 28ft by 14ft, this was the chapel for the cemetery of the poor, which was established by the monks at the nearby Priory. It was consecrated in 1253 by Bishop Richard of Chichester, latterly known as St Richard of Chichester. Richard himself died four days later at the Maison Dieu, Dover's medieval pilgrims hospital located barely a hundred yards away. Although his body was taken to Chichester for a ceremonial funeral, his internal organs were buried in a cist in the chapel floor, now partly covered by the reconstructed 20th century altar. Richard was later canonised, and the chapel later became a place of pilgrimage. Today it remains the only place of worship dedicated by one English saint to another. The chapel was dedicated by Bishop Richard of Chichester in memory of his friend and teacher, St. Edmund of Abingdon, Archbishop of Canterbury from 1233 until his death in 1240.

It could be said that this little chapel is perhaps miraculous. It physically survived the Reformation and Dissolution of the Monasteries ordered by Henry VIII. Its sanctity having been lost for more than 400 years, it is recorded that during that passage of time it fell into use as a store and smithy. Remarkably, it then failed destruction when very close buildings were destroyed by enemy action in WWII, and finally it escaped demolition in the 1960’s by a council, which did not realise its significance, eager on widening Dover’s town high street.

A few buildings remain of St. Martin's Priory. The Abbey was established in 1131 but disbanded during the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Many of old abbey buildings are incorporated into Dover College.

Tallis had become very overlooked until a few years ago. Then - deep joy - long came Classic FM, and a couple of their DJ's were very fond of playing this - his Spem In Alium (Hope in any other)     

https://youtu.be/iT-ZAAi4UQQ?si=BC5jDD1u53xHTWY3

When I was a teenager, my parent bought me a battery-operated record player for my birthday. It had to be battery powered, because, at the time we had no electricity. They also arranged for relatives who would norrmally buy me a little gift for my birthday, to give me a little money instead. Deep joy - I had enough to go into town and buy 2 record albums. Albums were normally too expensive to buy. 

Anyway, the first one I picked was 'Reminiscing' by Buddy Holly. The other one was Sir Malcolm Sargent  (who was born in Ashford), conducting Elgar's 'Enigma Variations'. On the other side was Ralph Vaughan-Williams' 'Fantasia on a theme of Thomas Tallis'. I so loved this piece of music, I looked for not only other Vaughan-Williams' compositions, but also anything by Thomas Tallis. This started a life-long love of the works of both.

St, Martin's Priory is the heart of Dover College. The Priory of St. Mary the Virgin and St. Martin of the New Work, or Newark, commonly called Dover Priory, was a priory at Dover that was variously independent in rule, then occupied by canons regular of the Augustinian rule, then finally monks of the Benedictine rule as a cell of Christchurch Monastery, Canterbury.

Dover College opened there in 1871, and the Strangers' Refectory and Gatehouse were restored. Other remaining parts were converted to accommodate the school

As long as you report to the Bursar first, you are permitted to walk around the outside of these buildings

One former pupil of Dover College was Simon Cowell, who apparently was so badly behaved that he attended 16 schools, and eventually dropped out at age 16.

King Stephen was said to have died on a journey whilst staying at the Priory in 1154.He was buried in the Abbey at Faversham, one of only three monarchs to be buried outside of London, the others being Henry IV who is buried in Canterbury Cathedral, and, of course, Richard III, who until recently graced a car park in Leicester! Repaired and extended in 1231 after much damage in a fire of 1201, it was pillaged by the French in a raid in August 1295, during which a monk called Thomas de la Hale was murdered. Extensive repairs were made in the 1480s.

I wanted to explore Maison Dieu and Biggin Hall, but unfortunately, they are both closed and wreathed in scaffolding for restoration.

Maison Dieu was a 13th-century hostel for pilgrims coming from Europe to visit Canterbury.

However, here are a couple of points that I did manage to photograph.

The Zeebrugge Bell high up on the Maison Dieu, was presented by the King of Belgium, to commemorate the Zeebrugge Raid of 1918. The bell is rung at 12 noon on 23rd. April each year

The only bit of Biggin Hall I could get near enough to, was this - the door to the jail.

It's pointless me saying too much about these two buildings until I can get to see them inside and out, and show you what I'm talking about.

Next to the Maison Dieu and in front of Biggin Hall, stands the Town Hall

.....and in front of that, is the town war memorial. It is topped by a statue called 'Youth', and he in turn, holds aloft a cross. 

The arms of the port and town of Dover are on the front of the memorial

In the pretty garden surrounding the memorial, is this plaque and a grappling iron that was one of many used to hold H.M.S. Vindictive against the Mole during the raid on Zeebrugge in 1918

Through the entire length of the town, from the hills behind to the sea, flows the River Dour. It is a fast-flowing, shallow, chalk stream of very clear water

It flows behind Maison Dieu, and along the edge of Pencester Gardens. In the middle of this small park, there is a bandstand which has a pathway of stone slabs surrounding it, on which are engraved notable events in the town. 

For instance, did you know that in 1680, an earthquake badly damaged the castle walls? Nope. Neither did I - a bit before my time.

I walked round to the bottom of Castle Hill, and then turned around again. That will have to wait until I have time to ride up there. No way was I walking up there!

As I walked back, I came across this blue plaque on Castle Hill House. 

The word nepotism springs to mind....

Across the road stands the ruined St. James church.

Now a quiet, contemplative spot, the Norman origins of the church are obvious. Built in the 11th. century, restored in the 19th. century, and bombed in the 20th. century. It was bombed in the First World War, restored, then bombed again in the Second World War. The tower collapsed, so the ruins were made safe, and it is now a listed ruin.

High up on the Western Heights, close to the Citadel, lies the remains of a church, once belonging to the Knights Templar.
The chapel, built in the 12th century, had a circular nave 10 metres (33 feet) in diameter and a rectangular chancel. It was discovered in 1806 during construction of the fortifications on Dover Western Heights, according to Matthew Paris the site of King John's submission to the papal legate Pandulph in May 1213.
At an early hour on the morning of the 15th May 1213, King John and Pandulph- the Papal Legate- left the House of the Templars and retired to the precincts of the Round Church. There, surrounded by Bishops, Barons, Knights and various Nobles of the Realm, King John took an oath of fealty to the Pope on his knees before Pandulph. The occasion was the surrender of the Crown to the Pope. King John then made his submission, in the House of the Knights Templar…to the Envoy….After this was done, King John then put into the hands of Pandulph, a Charter recording the Act.

This submission by John was one of the final acts that resulted in the dispute between him and his barons, that ultimately ended with the signing of Magna Carta.

And finally...................

the Swedish ship Gotheborg moored in the Western Docks back in 2015. Don't blame me, I didn't take these pictures haha, but I don't doubt she'll be back sometime and I'll try to get closer shots then. She's a 20th. century replica of an 18th. century original

And finally, finally, just for fun........................

and...not Dover, but relevant to the Gotheborg.........................

Two sailors who started drifting after losing their rudder have told of their surreal experience when a replica 18th-century merchant ship arrived to rescue them off the coast of France. 
The largest ocean-going wooden sailing ship in the world, Götheborg of Sweden, was heading for its upcoming port stop in Jersey when it received a distress call from the MRCC (Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centres) about a small sailing boat that was drifting after losing its rudder. 
As the closest ship to the boat in distress, the 58-metre Götheborg answered the call and towed the sailing boat during the night of 26 April 2023.

Imagine.................you put out a Mayday call for any boat or ship in the area to come to your assistance, and the closest one is an 18th. century Swedish merchantman. You rub your eyes and chuck that half empty bottle of whisky over the side, vowing never to drink again.........