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Dover: Lock and Key of the Kingdom
Celia Fiennes - Late 17th Century Dover
Celia Fiennes (1662 - 1741) was born at Newton Toney, near
Salisbury, into a Puritan, anti-monarchist family. She travelled
extensively throughout England and Scotland, on horseback and
by coach, staying at inns or with relatives, and recorded vivid
descriptions of her journeys. These journeys, supposedly for her
health, were mostly undertaken between 1685 and 1703; during
her ‘Great Journey’ of 1698 she travelled over 1,000 miles. Her
travel diaries were published in 1888 under the title ‘Through
England on a Side Saddle in the time of William and Mary’, and
in them she comments on towns, roads, inns, religious practices
and particularly on local trade and industry. She admitted that
her journeys were inspired by curiosity.
During these travels around the country Celia visited Dover:
Salisbury, into a Puritan, anti-monarchist family. She travelled
extensively throughout England and Scotland, on horseback and
by coach, staying at inns or with relatives, and recorded vivid
descriptions of her journeys. These journeys, supposedly for her
health, were mostly undertaken between 1685 and 1703; during
her ‘Great Journey’ of 1698 she travelled over 1,000 miles. Her
travel diaries were published in 1888 under the title ‘Through
England on a Side Saddle in the time of William and Mary’, and
in them she comments on towns, roads, inns, religious practices
and particularly on local trade and industry. She admitted that
her journeys were inspired by curiosity.
During these travels around the country Celia visited Dover:
“…and so to Dover, much up hill and down, it was a good Road and sort of champion country, yet at a distance you see many good
woods and pretty houses with rows of trees; the Castle at Dover is discover’d five mile off standing on the edge of a very steep high
hill, on which you ascend up to the tower 120 steps up, whence you discover Callice [Calais] in France; I saw the clifts and hills plaine,
but in some cleer dayes towards the evening you may see the towers and buildings of Callice; the Castle is left much to decay and
ruinated, only a small appartment for the Governour of three or four roomes, else the whole is spoyl’d, the floores taken up and the
wanscoate pulled down;…”
“…there is on the Plattform guns mounted which being so high commands the Road so as no ship durst saile under it; it’s a mighty
steep clift at the poynt which makes ones head giddy to look down to the sea; there is one Gun of cast brass of a great length and
finely carv’d and adorn’d with figures, this carrys a ball a great way, tho’ the bore or muzzle of the Gun be not bigger than my fist so
the Ball its charged with cannot be bigg but it will do execution a great way off; this was made at Utriche [Utrecht] in Holland and
presented to Queen Elizabeth, its worth a great sum of money for its curiosity; there are Gunns also planted in a little fort at the foote
of this steepe clift to secure the Road from Pirates, for as to Dover town it looks like a place of no defence, it’s a little place, the houses
are little and it looks thrust together; there is a market house and town hall, its well enough for the accomodation of the seamen and to
supply the shipps with everything;…”
woods and pretty houses with rows of trees; the Castle at Dover is discover’d five mile off standing on the edge of a very steep high
hill, on which you ascend up to the tower 120 steps up, whence you discover Callice [Calais] in France; I saw the clifts and hills plaine,
but in some cleer dayes towards the evening you may see the towers and buildings of Callice; the Castle is left much to decay and
ruinated, only a small appartment for the Governour of three or four roomes, else the whole is spoyl’d, the floores taken up and the
wanscoate pulled down;…”
“…there is on the Plattform guns mounted which being so high commands the Road so as no ship durst saile under it; it’s a mighty
steep clift at the poynt which makes ones head giddy to look down to the sea; there is one Gun of cast brass of a great length and
finely carv’d and adorn’d with figures, this carrys a ball a great way, tho’ the bore or muzzle of the Gun be not bigger than my fist so
the Ball its charged with cannot be bigg but it will do execution a great way off; this was made at Utriche [Utrecht] in Holland and
presented to Queen Elizabeth, its worth a great sum of money for its curiosity; there are Gunns also planted in a little fort at the foote
of this steepe clift to secure the Road from Pirates, for as to Dover town it looks like a place of no defence, it’s a little place, the houses
are little and it looks thrust together; there is a market house and town hall, its well enough for the accomodation of the seamen and to
supply the shipps with everything;…”
