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The outline of Dover's mediaeval walls superimposed
on a late 19th Century map of Dover.
The town walls of Dover encircled the old
town centre, and extended across the valley from cliff to
cliff to protect from sea-borne invasion.
I - Butchery Gate
The gate gets its name from the butchers’ quarter of the town.
Also called Standfast Tower the river passed under this gate
on its way to the sea. Demolished in 1819
II - Severus Gate
Although it bears the name of a Roman Emperor there is nothing
to suggest that this gate was Roman in origin, being originally
named Boldware Gate. Here was “The Bench” a meeting place
of merchants, from where Bench Street gets its name. Demolished
in 1762.
III - Old Snar Gate
This was a tower at the western corner of the wall. It has
been suggested that engineers built a snare or trap across
the river mouth to catch rubbish before it blocked up the
harbour, and that it is from this “snare gate” that the name
derives. From here the original wall took a shorter route
to Cow Gate (VI) until it was extended in 1370.
IV - Snar Gate
This gate was built in 1370 when the recession of the sea
and development of the town outside the wall, along Snargate
Street, made it desirable to extend the wall in that direction.
Demolished in 1683.
V - Adrian Gate
From Snar Gate the new wall, appropriately called “Upwall”
went up the face of the cliff. Immediately above was Adrian,
or Upwall, Gate.
VI - Cow Gate
This gate may take its name from the fact that cattle were
grazed on the Western
Heights that this gate led to. Demolished in 1776.
VII - St Martin’s or Monk’s
Gate
This was a small postern gate in the western boundary of the
precincts of St
Martin-le-Grand.
VIII - Biggin Gate
The main road to Canterbury and London (Biggin
Street) passed out of the town through this gate. The
gate was taken down in 1762 and part of the wall nearby was
demolished in 1827.
IX - Tower (name unknown),
X - Tinker’s Tower, XI and XII
From Biggin Gate the wall ran along the northern boundary
of St Mary’s Churchyard
to a tower (IX) where it made a right angle turn running towards
Stembrook, where there was another Tower (X) known as Tinker’s
Tower. Where the wall passed across what is now Castle
Street the river Dour
ran under the wall (XI). At Dolphin Lane the foundations of
a gate have been found (XII), which formed the ancient entrance
to the town on this side.
XIII - Fisher’s Gate
The wall encircling the town rejoined the wall along the seashore
at this point.
XIV - St Helen’s Gate
Also called Cross Gate, the name taken from St Helen’s Cross
which was over it.
XV East Brook Gate
This took its name from the eastern part of the river Dour
which ran into the harbour near this point. The gate was the
main access to Dover’s
early harbour. From here the wall ran on to join the castle
cliff near to St James’s
Church .
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