Constable's Gate, Entrance to Lock and Key of the Kingdom, Dover Castle, Kent, UK

The classic view of Constable's Gate, today's pedestrian entrance to Dover Castle and what Matthew Paris (1), a medieval Benedictine monk and English chronicler, once famously described as the "Lock and Key to the Kingdom of England":


(Click this Constable's Gate of Dover Castle text link to see the largest size)

Western Outer Curtain Wall
Rokesley Tower & Canons Gate

The approach to the drawbridge doorway on the Western Outer Curtain Wall of this 12th century Norman castle is via Constable's Road, a junction on Castle Hill Road above Connaught Park and the Zig-Zags Park (both Victorian).

The entrance for vehicular traffic lies further south at Canons Gate, or Canons Gateway.

Constable's Tower was built by John de Fiennes (John de Fienes) under William the Conqueror (2) and for this reason was once known as Fiennes' Tower.

In the 1216 Great Siege of Dover Castle during the First Barons' War against King John (3), the Dauphin Prince Louis, later Louis VIII of France (4), son and heir-apparent of Philip Augustus (one of the most successful medieval French monarchs), unsuccessfully besieged Dover Castle.

The importance of Dover Castle to the Dauphin's campaign is reflected in this 1784 account (5):

The Canons Gate and Rokesley Tower, Western Outer Curtain Wall, Dover Castle, Kent, UK

The Canons Gateway, located at the southern end of the Western Outer Curtain Wall, is the vehicular entrance to Dover Castle:


(Click this Canons Gate of Dover Castle text link to see the largest size)

Western Outer Curtain Wall

The bridge entrance is accessible from Canons Gate Road, a turning off of Castle Hill Road not far from the Victoria Park junction. The pedestrian entrance to the castle is via Constable's Gateway to the north.

The tower on the left of the Canons Gate entrance is Rokesley's Tower, a D-type mural tower complete with Garderobe (a medieval latrine, or toilet).

Further to the left, Fulbert's Tower lies 80 yards north of Rokesley's Tower; out of view to the right is the Tudor Bulwark.

The photo was taken at 11.40 am on Easter Sunday, 12th of April, 2009.

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Abridged excerpt from a Georgian book published in 1828 (1)

The following account refers to the original and now demolished "Canon, or Monk's Gate", once located out-of-shot to the right, and to the "New Entrance" - the Canons Gateway shown in the photo:

Guest Chamber of King Henry II, Great Tower of Dover Castle, Kent, UK

A view of the Guest Chamber on the first-floor of the Keep, or Great Tower (night view), of Dover Castle after "a major transformation by English Heritage to re-create the splendour of a royal court in the late 12th century" (1):


(Click this Palace Guest Chamber text link to see the largest size)

Entry to this representation of a medieval royal palace is via the Forebuilding and King's Hall on the second-floor. Adjacent to the King's Hall (Great Hall) is the King's Chamber (bedroom, or solar). The Guest Hall is on the floor below the King's Hall, and the Guest Chamber is below the King's Chamber.

Embroidered textiles throughout the four-room complex are by the Royal School of Needlework (RSN).

Above the chest at bottom-left is a bed on top of which lie a patchwork blanket, bolster, and two pillows. Next is the main bed which can be completely enclosed by drawing the hanging curtains along their rail. There are two other beds set against the far wall.

The beds are quite small by modern standards which I immediately put down to the average height being less in the 12th Century than it is today. A 2007 newspaper report, however, suggests otherwise (2):

Guest Hall of King Henry II in the Great Tower of Dover Castle, Kent, UK

A view of the Guest Hall on the first-floor of the Keep, or Great Tower (night view), of Dover Castle after "a major transformation by English Heritage to re-create the splendour of a royal court in the late 12th century" (1):


(Click this Palace Guest Hall text link to see the largest size)

The Guest Hall, or lower hall, is shown being prepared for a feast, although it would have been a multi-purpose room (see below). Leading off this hall are the pantry and the buttery (2).

The Guest Hall backcloth above the 'high table', a powerful reminder to the guests of whose palace they are visiting, shows the mounted King Henry II (Curtmantle), ready for battle in mail, although without helmet so that all might see his face, wearing his crown and holding his sword aloft (3). The backcloth was made by the Royal School of Needlework (RSN):

2009 for the re-presentation of The Great Hall, Dover Castle. Six large pieces were produced in an extremely short timescale including the King’s Hall backcloth; a canopy and tester; the Guest Hall backcloth and a standard and altar frontal. These were completed with the help of volunteers from the RSN Certificate Course (4).

As part of the re-presentation of the Norman Keep, Alexandra Buckle, a junior research fellow in the Music Faculty at Oxford University, was employed by English Heritage as a music consultant for the project (5):

"Henry II was married to Eleanore of Aquitaine, a lifelong patron of the troubadours (composers and performers of Occitan lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages, 1100-1350) and someone who is credited with spreading the influence of the troubadours to England. Therefore we hear troubadour music in the Guest Hall, reflecting this." (The female equivalent of a troubadour is a trobairitz)

At other times:

The Keep, or Great Tower, of Dover Castle from the King's Gateway, Kent, UK

The north-western face of Dover Castle's Keep, or Great Tower, with the North Tower on the left and the West Tower on the right:


(Click this Great Tower of Dover Castle text link to see the largest size)

Dover Castle Keep at Night

The 12th Century Norman Keep was built in the 1180s with AD 1180-1185 often being the range quoted.

The length of the sides and height of the corner towers vary, but the Keep is approximately 100 feet square, over 80 feet high, and has walls up to 21 feet thick. It was designed by Henry II’s architect, 'Maurice the Engineer' (or mason; Latin: Ingeniator).

The North Tower and South Tower (or Flag Tower) both have spiral staircases leading from ground level up to the roof; the East Tower and West Tower do not.

To the left of the North Tower, and about two-thirds of its height, is the Forebuilding (main entrance), the largest of the period in England.

The Keep has three floors (ground, first, and second) that now contain a 2010 English Heritage representation of a medieval Royal Palace and Royal Court.

The largest pair of windows - in line with the top of the Forebuilding - are those of the second floor:

The Keep and Western Outer Curtain Wall of Dover Castle from the Harbour, Kent, UK

A panoramic view of Dover Castle taken from the lighthouse and Harbour View cafe end of the Prince of Wales Pier:


(Click this Keep and Western Outer Curtain Wall text link to see the largest size)

Dover Castle Keep

Distance to the White Cliffs of Dover above East Cliff at bottom-right is about 1450 yards; to the Keep, or Great Tower, about 1850 yards.

The Keep is 83 feet (25.3m) high and just under 100 feet (30m) square, with walls up to 21 feet (6.5m) thick.

This massive edifice was designed by the architect, 'Maurice the Engineer' (ie Mason) and built between 1180 and 1185 during the reign of Henry II (Curtmantle).

The interior of the Norman Keep was "re-furbished" by English Heritage in 2010 to show how a medieval royal palace, or royal court, may have looked in the 12th Century:

The Throne of Henry II in King's Hall, Great Tower of Dover Castle

The King's Chamber of Henry II in the Great Tower of Dover Castle

Guest Hall of King Henry II in the Great Tower of Dover Castle

Guest Chamber of King Henry II, Great Tower of Dover Castle

The Keep, with the Union Flag, or Union Jack, flying above its South Tower, was also once known as Palace Tower.

Below the Keep are the uncrenellated (ie flat-topped) towers of the Inner Bailey wall, or Inner Curtain Wall. The two higher towers close together below the Keep's right-hand tower flank the Palace Gateway, an entrance into the Keepyard. The other entrance is the King's Gateway, or King's Gate, on the northern side.

Furthest on the left of the photo is the stand alone grouping of the Constable's Gateway with the Queen Mary Tower indistinguishable in front.

The Western Outer Curtain Wall then extends from Queen Mary's Tower to the cliff-edge, featuring (from left to right):

St John's Tower, a 13th Century Round Tower in the Moat of Dover Castle, Kent, UK

A "rare view" of St John's Tower which is situated in the moat (ditch) at the northern end of Dover Castle. It is connected to the interior of the castle by an underground tunnel and gallery, or sousterrain, that passes beneath the Norfolk Towers, the earth-banked lower slopes of which can be seen in the upper left-hand corner:


(Click this text link to see the largest size)

The photo was taken at 7.05 am on Wednesday, 25th of May, 2011, from the eastern outer moat wall. An earlier Rare view of St John's Tower, taken from near enough the same location but under different light conditions, was photographed at 11.32 am on Friday, 13th of May.

This unusual round tower effectively divides the Eastern Outer Curtain Wall (out-of-shot to the left) from the Western Outer Curtain Wall (on the far side of the tower).

The roof of a two-level caponier (alt. caponnier: fr. "chicken cage") to the right of St John's Tower connects it to the Ravelin (or Redan), a brick-lined structure, partially visible behind the trees near the right-hand edge, that had been added to the Spur by Colonel William Twiss of the Royal Engineers between 1801-1803 during the the Napoleonic Wars.

The Napoleonic Spur Raised Gun Platform of Dover Castle - Redan or Ravelin? Kent, UK

The Napoleonic Ravelin, also known as the Redan, at the northern end of Dover Castle is an irregular triangle in plan view. The north-eastern face (in shadow on the right) is about 44 yards long, the western face on the far side is about 46 yards along, and the straight-line distance across the sunlit sawtooth-shaped base (not all of which is visible) is about 41 yards:


(Click this Dover Castle Ravelin text link to see the largest size)

The Ravelin, a raised artillery gun platform surrounded by its own ditch (moat), is embedded within the elongated and larger triangle, or "arrow", of the Spur earthwork. Part of the inside of Spur's western perimeter wall can be seen halfway down the left-hand side of the photo.

The Spur, originally teardrop-shaped, was constructed after the 1216 Great Siege of Dover Castle (First Barons War) along with St John's Tower and the Norfolk Towers, both out-of-shot to the left.

The Norfolk Towers (flank view) replaced and sealed off the previous Northern Entrance (or Northgate) that had been damaged during the siege by the the engineers of the Dauphin (Prince Louis, later Louis VIII of France); new gateways were made by Hubert de Burgh (Constable of Dover Castle) under Henry III at Fitzwilliam's Gate (in the east) and at Constable's Gateway (in the west).

Rare view of the 13th Century Norfolk Towers at Sunrise, Dover Castle, Kent, UK

The medieval Norfolk Towers at the northern end of Dover Castle viewed from a field adjacent to the hidden East Wing Battery of the Victorian Fort Burgoyne. The field (no access without permission) is where part of the French army were arrayed during the Great Siege of 1216:


(Click this Dover Castle Norfolk Towers text link to see the largest size)

Dover Castle from the Sea

The ivy-clad Norfolk Towers are in the fobidden zone that surrounds the entire perimeter of the castle. Despite their massive size, if this photo were to be mixed with half-a-dozen photos of other Norman castles, then I would be very surprised if the average Dovorian "man or woman in the street" would recognize that the Norfolk Towers are part of the ancient monument they see almost every day.

This post-sunrise zoomed photo of 400 yards was taken at 6.48 am on Monday, 27th of June, 2011. The flag-pole and collection of chimney stacks at top-left are part of Constable's Gateway (alt. Constable's Tower), 120 yards beyond the Norfolk Towers. The British Army flag is that of "Deputy Constable of Dover Castle". On a less-hazy day, the English Channel is visible above the skyline to the right of the towers.

The main entrance to Dover Castle prior to the 1216 Siege of Dover Castle (First Barons War) was the Northern Entrance (North Entrance, or Northgate).

During the siege, which broke off and then resumed briefly in 1217 when a trebuchet catapult was used (french: Malvoisin, or "Bad Neighbour"), the engineers of the Dauphin (Prince Louis, later Louis VIII of France) so damaged the eastern gate tower of the North Entrance by mining that Hubert de Burgh (Constable of Dover Castle under King John and Henry III) subsequently sealed the gateway, replacing it with the Norfolk Towers, and new entrances were made at Constable's Gate (in the west) and Fitzwilliam's Gate (alt. Fitzwilliam's Gateway, Fitzwilliam's Tower; in the east: a postern, or secondary entrance).

Mote's Bulwark Gatehouse Ruins on the White Cliffs below Dover Castle, Kent, UK

Originally built by King Henry VIII in 1539, this is the inner wall of the Mote's Bulwark Gatehouse viewed from the Upper Terrace at 10.59 am on Tuesday, 12th of April, 2011:


(Click this Mote's Bulwark text link to see the largest size)

In a posthumous account published in 1801 (1), the Welsh naturalist and antiquary Thomas Pennant describes how King Edward IV's expenditure of ten thousand pounds in improvements to Dover Castle led to a belief that no further defences were needed on the seaward side above the White Cliffs of Dover at East Cliff. Pennant then goes on to say:

King Henry VIII was of a different opinion; possibly to guard against a surprise by sea, he built at the foot of the cliff on the shore one of the many little castles he erected in the year 1539, it was called the Mote's Bulwark, and remains garrisoned.

(The "long s", or "f", has been replaced with the letter s for readability)

Originally Tudor, the "little castle" of Mote's Bulwark (alt. Moat's Bulwark) has been extensively modified over the years. The ruins now consist of a lower level semi-circular battery built of squared rubble with a revetted parapet (ie faced with masonry) at near sea-level, and an upper terrace set part-way up the cliff-side containing the West Gatehouse (or Guardroom) shown in the photo.

The King's Chamber of Henry II in the Great Tower of Dover Castle, Kent, UK

A view of the King's Chamber on the second-floor of the Keep, or Great Tower (night view), of Dover Castle after "a major transformation by English Heritage to re-create the splendour of a royal court in the late 12th century" (1):


(Click this Palace King's Chamber text link to see the largest size)

An explanation for the size of King Henry II's bed was given by Steven Lang (Head Custodian of Dover Castle) at a meeting held in 2010 (2):

The beds seem unusual and are small by today's standards. In Henry's reign people would not lie down to sleep. They were afraid that if they fell asleep and their mouths opened the devil would enter their bodies. With a shorter bed they could sleep in more of a sitting position and this would not happen.

An additional reason given by a Dover Castle English Heritage guide (Keith Ashley-Thomas) is that sleeping sitting up reduced wood smoke inhalation - but only for those who could afford such a luxury at night, of course!

As well as being a bedroom, the King's Chamber is where Henry II could have had private meetings and audiences. It was also known as a "Solar" (3):

The Throne of Henry II in King's Hall, Great Tower of Dover Castle, Kent, UK

A view of the King's Hall on the second-floor of the Keep, or Great Tower (night view), of Dover Castle after "a major transformation by English Heritage to re-create the splendour of a royal court in the late 12th century" (1):


(Click this Palace King's Hall text link to see the largest size)

The middle throne is in blue and gold and stands about 1.5 metres (five feet) tall, while the gold-on-red backcloth is five metres (16 feet) high. Topping the whole thing off is a canopy.

Keith Ashley-Thomas, an English Heritage guide who appears in the original Trebuchet Siege Engine photo (not yet uploaded), said the canopy contains stars of gilded leather and had been made by the Royal School of Needlework. A little research found this entry (2):

2009 for the re-presentation of The Great Hall, Dover Castle. Six large pieces were produced in an extremely short timescale including the King’s Hall backcloth; a canopy and tester; the Guest Hall backcloth and a standard and altar frontal. These were completed with the help of volunteers from the RSN Certificate Course.

On the left of Henry II's throne is a smaller one whose original would have been used principally by Prince John (later King John (Lackland): see the Knights Templar Ruins photo when uploaded) as another son, Prince Richard (later Richard I, Coeur de Lion, or Richard the Lionheart), spent much of his time abroad.

The seat to the right of King Henry II's throne was for Princess Alice of France (or Alys, Countess of the Vexin) who appears to have been more than just the ward of Henry II.

Rare view of the 1st Century Roman Pharos, Dover Castle, Kent, UK

The East Roman Pharos in the grounds of Dover Castle stands on a huge horseshoe-shaped rampart known as Harold's Earthwork:


(Click this East Roman Pharos text link to see the largest size)

The East Roman Pharos was built 46 AD during the reign of Emperor Claudius while Aulus Plautius was governor.

On the right-hand side of the photo is part of a low perimeter wall that runs all the way around the edge of the earthwork.

The reason the above view of the Pharos (a watchtower or lighthouse) is rare - if not unique, at least as far as the internet is concerned - is because it was taken from the west and from outside of the perimeter wall.

Behind the Pharos is the Saxon church of St Mary-in-Castro.

A replica remnant of the West Roman Pharos, known as the Bredenstone, is located on the other side of the River Dour valley on the Drop Redoubt (part of a vast Napoleonic and Victorian hidden fortress embedded into the Western Heights).

The Grand Shaft Underground Triple Stairway, Western Heights, Dover, Kent, UK

Looking up from the bottom of the Grand Shaft to the open sky above the Western Heights:


(Click this Grand Shaft text link to see the largest size)

The Grand Shaft, part of Dover's "Forgotten Fortress", is built of brick and cast-iron and consists of three interleaved spiral stairways winding around an open shaft. It once linked the Grand Shaft Barracks (now demolished) on top of the White Cliffs of Dover to Snargate Street on the seafront below.

Two of the three staircases have their entrances within the shaft, the third entrance is at the beginning of the access tunnel leading to Snargate Street.

Dates vary a little, but the English Heritage Pastscape entry for the Grand Shaft states it was built between 1805 and 1807 as part of Dover's Napoleonic (and subsequently Victorian) defensive works on the Western Heights.

Legend has it that one staircase was labelled "Officers and their Ladies", the second, "Senior NCO's and their Wives", and the third, "Other Ranks and their Women".

The Bredenstone, West Roman Pharos, Drop Redoubt, Western Heights, Dover, Kent, UK

The Bredenstone, or "Devil's Drop of Mortar", is all that visibly remains of the Roman West Pharos located on the Drop Redoubt:


(Click this Bredenstone text link to see the largest size)

The Drop Redoubt is a 5-sided polygonal fortress embedded into the Western Heights above the town of Dover, England.

The basic structure, with sides between 70 and 100 yards long, was completed by the end of the Napoleonic Wars. Four caponiers were subsequently added in Victorian times. The Drop Redoubt caponiers (alt. caponier) are two-storey chambers extending into the moat that surrounds the fortress.

In the background of the photo are the five bomb-proof arches of the Soldiers Quarters. The lefthand arch has a tunnel and steps at the back leading down to Caponnier 2. Access to Caponier 3 is via the 2nd arch from the right; the rightmost arch itself originally housed a cookhouse. Access to Caponier 4 is via an opening set in the wall approaching the right of cookhouse.

Between the Bredenstone (alt. Bredon-stone) and the Soldiers Quarters is a "sunken road" leading to the bridge entrance to the redoubt (out-of-shot to the left). The Bredenstone sits above the Officers Quarters on one side of the road; on the far side are a guardroom and prison cells.

The photo was taken on the Drop Redoubt Open Day of June 10th, 2007.

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The Bredenstone (1)

The Ghost of the North Centre Bastion, Western Heights, Dover, Kent, UK

The North Centre Bastion is part of the extensive Napoleonic and Victorian "Forgotten Fortress" embedded into the Western Heights above the town of Dover, England. It is owned by English Heritage, but is not currently open to the public.

The photo was taken in the North/South tunnel (Tunnel 1) (West Gallery) running under the Detached Bastion along its western edge:



The area of interest is the lower half of the first arch which appears to show the 'smokey' outline of a child's profile whose arms are stretched out to the right. The smokiness extends to a further figure sat against the right-hand wall with drawn-up knees.

'Interesting' photos from the North Centre Bastion (alt. North Center Bastion, Dead Man's Island, The Smokey) and related locations are initially uploaded to these Ghost and Orb image webpages.

The above photo originally appeared on the Images of Dover website at the following url (contains Google Earth satellite map):

The Ghost of the North Centre Bastion, Dover, England (1a)

An enhanced version of the photo in which the 'white level' has been increased can be seen at:

The Ghost of the North Centre Bastion (Enhanced)

There's also a three-part video of the North Centre Bastion available on YouTube:

Part 1: The Smokey, North Centre Bastion, Western Heights, Dover UK
Part 2: The Smokey, North Centre Bastion, Western Heights, Dover UK
Part 3: The Smokey, North Centre Bastion, Western Heights, Dover UK

Dover's 'Forgotten Fortress' on the Western Heights also includes the Drop Redoubt, the Grand Shaft, the North Entrance, the North Military Road, the Outer Bastion, the Pre-Napoleonic Earthworks, and St Martins Battery.

A Napoleonic Wars and Victorian British Army history photo.

John Latter / Jorolat

Dover Blog: The Psychology of a Small Town

Queen Mary's Tower, Western Outer Curtain Wall, Dover Castle, Kent, UK

Queen Mary's Tower is located on Dover Castle's Western Outer Curtain Wall between Constable's Gateway, less than 15 yards to the right (north) and Peverell's Gate, less than 60 yards to the left (south):



This is a fairly typical D-type tower but the location within the garden grounds of Constable's Gateway (alt. Constable's Gate, Constable's Tower) prohibits getting any closer.

This view shows the internal arch and was taken looking over the garden wall from the raised ground between West Norman Road and Harold Road.

Queen Mary's Tower had its height reduced during the 18th Century in order to turn it into a gun platform (thereby removing the crenellations) like the other D-Type towers (eg Gatton's Tower, Say's Tower, Hurst's Tower).

Other names for Queen Mary's Tower: Port Tower, Porth Tower, Laswells Tower (Laswell's Tower?), and Gostling Tower.

As a rule of thumb, 'square' towers were built in the days of arrows, curved ones marked the advent of cannon.

More information (including sources used and a Google Earth satellite map) can be found on this photo's original webpage at:

Queen Mary's Tower, Western Outer Curtain Wall, Dover Castle

A Dover Middle Ages history photo.

Links to the main Images of Dover website:

All castle photos first appear under the Dover Castle tag.

The castle is a Dover Grade I Listed Buildings and an English Heritage site.

John Latter / Jorolat

Dover Blog: The Psychology of a Small Town

Constable's Gate or Tower, Western Outer Curtain Wall, Dover Castle, Kent, UK

A view of Constable's Gate on the Western Outer Curtain Wall of Dover Castle taken at dusk on May 23rd, 2007:


(Click this Constable's Gate of Dover Castle text link to see the largest size)

Constable's Gate in 2011
Constable's Gate in 1869
Rokesley Tower & Canons Gate

Constable's Tower was built by John de Fiennes under William the Conqueror and for this reason was once known as Fiennes' Tower.

It was rebuilt after 1216 Great Siege of Dover Castle by Hubert de Burgh during the reign of Henry III.

Constable's Gateway was modernized in 1882 and is now the living quarters of the Deputy Constable of Dover Castle, once the commanding officer of any Dover-based battalion but now the senior military officer for the district.

A more complete description of the gateway is given on the Constable's Gate 2011 webpage that also contains an 1869 Victorian print published by W. W. Sprague and Co. of London (for "then and now" comparisons) along with excerpts from two 19th century sources, one of which states:

"For a long time the porter's lodge (of Constable's Gate) contained a sword, an old key, and a horn, which were described as belonging to the days of Julius Caesar. The horn was supposed to be the original one used in summoning the labourers to their work when engaged in building the Castle."

Constable's Gate is the pedestrian and northernmost of the two drawbridge entrances to Dover Castle, the southern (vehicular) entrance being the Canons Gate, or Canons Gateway.

A third entrance at Fitzwlliam's Gate (Fitzwilliam's Gateway) - also built as a result of the 1216 siege - is not usually open to the public.

The main photo first appeared at:

The Keep, or Great Tower, of Dover Castle and Constable's Gateway, Kent, UK

This is a re-issued view of Dover Castle Keep and Constable's Tower (alt. Constable's Gate, or Constable's Gateway) taken at dusk on May 23rd, 2007.


(Click this text link to see the largest size)

The Keep, or Great Tower (night view),, is 83 feet high with walls 21 feet thick. Also note the Second World War anti-tank defences called 'dragon's teeth' on the embankment, left of centre.

The Keep is surrounded by the massive walls and rectangular towers of the Inner Bailey (Inner Curtain Wall).

Abridged extract from "The History of the Castle, Town and Port of Dover" by Reverend S. P. H. Statham, Rector of St Mary-in-the-Castle (ie St Mary-in-Castro) (Longmans, Green, and Co., 1899):

The Constable's Tower: One of the grandest gateways in England. Its plan is that of a triangle with its obtuse angle presented to the field. The angles at the base fall within the line of the curtain and are capped by two large drum towers. The salient angle in like manner is capped by an oblong tower, rounded at each end and flat in the centre.

This photo originally appeared on the Images of Dover website at the following url (contains Google Earth satellite map location):

The Great Tower of Dover Castle and Constable's Gateway, Kent, UK (Panoramio)

Also see:

The Keep and Western Outer Curtain Wall of Dover Castle from the Harbour
Night Panorama of Dover Castle overlooking the Seafront and Harbour
The Keep, Peverell's Gateway, and Hurst Tower of Dover Castle

A Dover Norman history photo.

Links to the main Images of Dover website:

All Dover Castle photos first appear under the Castle and Dover Castle tags.

The castle is a Dover Grade I Listed Building and an English Heritage site.

John Latter / Jorolat

Dover Blog: The Psychology of a Small Town

The Medieval Colton Gateway of Dover Castle, Kent, UK (1)

Colton Tower or Colton Gate (Alt. Coclico ). A Norman tower built on a Saxon or even earlier base:



The entrance though which Roman, Saxon and probably their Iron Age predecessors once entered their respective fortifications.

The replica Victorian-style lamp post in the foreground is a reminder of the many buildings erected, and alterations made, during the reign of Queen Victoria.

The bank on the right leads up to the large horseshoe-shaped Harold's Earthwork upon which the Roman Pharos and Saxon church of St Mary-in-Castro are located.

Abridged excerpts from a Victorian account written in 1864:

"It seems that the way of entering by Colton Gate has always remained the same, having afforded access successively to the Roman and Saxon fortress; and visitors, still winding their way up the chalk cutting and under the Octagon Tower, are probably following the footsteps of Roman garrisons, British chiefs, Thanes (Thegns) and Churchmen of Saxon times, the forces of Earl Godwin, and many others of earlier generations, till the Normans made their own approach to their statelier towers and Keep. Passing under the gateway, the space to the left, within the double line of defence, is described as the site of the buildings serving for the primitive residences of the canons of Eadbald's foundation, close to the Church they had to serve.

Rokesley Tower & Canons Gate

From thence, by a zigzag descent to the extreme angle on the cliff, under a tower long called the Canons Gate, they could hold communication with the town."

"...The tower over this (Colton) Gate - a Saxon work at first - has undergone much later alteration; the entrance arch having the character of the time of Edward III., when it was commanded by Lord Burghersh (Robert or Bartholomew de Burghersh), whose coat of arms are borne on the stone shield above."

(Heraldry: "Or (ie tincture of gold), a lion rampant; Gules (red), double tailed.")

More information (including sources used and a Google Earth satellite map) can be found on this photo's original webpage at:

Medieval Colton Gate or Tower, Dover Castle, UK (1)

Also see:

The Colton Gateway, ex-Roman and Saxon entrance to Dover Castle
Colton Gate, the Roman and Saxon Entrance to pre-Norman Dover Castle
The Norman and Saxon Colton Tower, Harold's Earthwork, Dover Castle

A Dover Middle Ages history photo. The English Heritage "Pastscape" entry for Dover Castle states:

"Medieval castle possibly originating as a pre-1066 motte and bailey castle, remodelled during the reign of Henry II (Curtmantle), to became a castle with concentric defences, one of the first examples of its kind in western Europe."

Links to the main Images of Dover website:

All castle photos first appear under the Dover Castle tag.

The castle is one of Dover's Listed Buildings and English Heritage sites.

John Latter / Jorolat

Dover Blog: The Psychology of a Small Town