DOVER, a seaport and municipal and parliamentary borough of Kent, England, one of the Cinque Ports, 76 m. E.S.E. of London by the Southern railway. Pop. 41,095. It is situ ated at the mouth of a small stream, the Dour, whose valley here breaches the high chalk cliffs which fringe the coast on either hand. The dominant object of the place is the castle, on the east height, 375 ft. above sea-level, occupying a space of 35 acres. Within its precincts are a Roman pharos or lighthouse, still exhibiting the Roman masonry; the ancient fortress church (St. Mary in Castro) ; some remains of the Saxon fort ; and the massive keep and subsidiary defences (such as the Constable's, Avranche's, and other towers) of the Norman building. The church, substantially unaltered, f orrns an almost unique Christian relic. It has been called Roman, but is later. It is cruciform in shape, and the walls are built mainly of flint, but jambs and arches are formed of Roman bricks. At the end of the I2th century it was remodelled and given an Early English character. In the beginning of the 18th century it was dismantled and turned into a storehouse ; and so continued until 1863, when, having been restored by Sir G. G. Scott, it was again opened for divine service, and is now the chapel of the castle garrison.
The castle is probably of extremely early origin. The earth works on the line of the outer curtain may be British, or even Roman, or may possibly represent the Saxon "burg" which Harold is said to have constructed. To these early banks and ditches, with perhaps stockades and wooden towers the conqueror added according to William of Poitiers, such additional "firmamenta'' as were needful. This probably means a Norman "motte and bailey"; and a moat, and in part a bailey, still remain inside the earlier castrum. The moat is unusually big, and the bailey, south of it, had an unusual loop to the south-east apparently to include the already extant church and pharos. Henry II. is re sponsible for the first stone fortification. He encircled the Norman moat with a wall and crowned it with a keep. Finally the outer rampart was translated into stone, with a line of at least 17 towers at intervals in the time of Henry III., perhaps by Hubert de Burgh. It is significant, however, that eight of these towers still bear the names of eight. Norman Knights, who held their manors of William on the tenure of "castleward." This makes it seem likely that at least these eight were erected on the site of earlier Norman or Saxon wooden towers. The small inner ward, on the moat, has an area of about two acres ; the Norman bailey about four; and the total enclosure, within the lines of the ancient castrum has an area of about 34 acres. Though the castle has suffered many alterations for modern military require ments, especially during the scare of a Napoleonic invasion, which have much obliterated the walls of the middle ward, the remainder of the castle stands substantially as it stood in the time of Henry III. With the exception of the Tower of London, it is probably at once the largest, most complete and most complex example of mediaeval fortification.
Remains were discovered in 18S4 of a round church of the Templars (Holy Sepulchre), 32 ft. in diameter, which has been restored; the church, doubtless, in which King John made his submission to the papal nuncio in 1213. Archcliffe fort lies to the south-west of old Dover. There may further be mentioned the remnant of the Saxon collegiate church of the canons of St. Mar tin, and the parish church of St. Mary the Virgin. This last was rebuilt and enlarged in but preserves the three bays of the Saxon church, with its western narthex, on which was super imposed the Norman tower, which presents its rich front to the street. The rest of the church is mainly Norman and Early Eng lish. A later Norman church stands under the Castle Hill, but its parochial status was transferred to the modern church of St. James.
The remains of the splendid foundation of St. Martin's priory, of the 12th century, include the great gate, the house refectory, with campanile, and the spacious strangers' refectory, now incor porated in Dover college. The college of St. Martin for twenty two secular canons, which had been established in the castle in 696, was removed into the town in the beginning of the 8th century, and in 1139 became a Benedictine priory under the jurisdiction of that at Canterbury, to which see the lands are still attached. The interior of the refectory is very fine and on its east wall are remains of a 12th century mural painting of the Last Supper; some of the nimbi surrounding the heads may still be made out. King Stephen is said to have died in the priory guest house, which is the chapel of the modern college. The gatehouse, now the library of the college is a good piece of Decorated work, and has a fine open fireplace. In High street may be seen the noble hall and truncated fabric of the Maison Dieu founded by Hubert de Burgh in the 13th century for the reception of pil grims of all nations. From the time of Henry VIII. to 183o it was used as a crown victualling office, but was subsequently purchased by the corporation and adapted as a town hall. The new town hall adjoining the old hall of the Maison Dieu was opened in 1883. The museum (1849) contains an interesting collection of local antiquities and a natural history collection. A bell taken from Antwerp by the Germans during the World War and used as an air raid warning at Zeebrugge was presented to Dover by the king of the Belgians and hung in a turret outside the town hall. An obelisk in memory of the Dover Patrol (see BELGIAN COAST OPERATIONS) has been erected on the cliffs above St. Margaret's bay.
Among various charitable institutions are the National Sailors' Home and the Gordon Boys' and Victoria Seaside orphanages. Among educational establishments is Dover college, occupying the site and remaining buildings of St. Martin's priory, with additional modern buildings. It was instituted in 1871, and educates about 220 boys. There is a separate junior school.
Dover is the only one of the Cinque Ports which is still a great port. It is one of the principal ports for passenger communica tions across the Channel, steamers connecting it with Calais and Ostend. The Admiralty pier was begun in 1847 and practically completed to a length of about 2,000 ft. in 1871. In 1891 it was re solved to construct a new commercial harbour at an estimated cost of about f 700,000. Begun in 1893, the works included the construction of an east pier ("Prince of Wales's pier"), running parallel to the general direction of the Admiralty pier and in con junction with it enclosing an area of sheltered water amounting to seventy-five acres. This pier was completed in 1902. In 1896 and subsequent years funds were voted by parliament for the construc tion of an artificial harbour for naval purposes, having an area of 61 o acres, of which 322 acres were to have a depth of not less than 3o ft. at low water. The scheme comprised three enclosing break waters—on the west an extension of the Admiralty pier in a south easterly direction for a length of 2,000 ft.; on the south an isolated breakwater, 4,20o ft. long, curving round shoreward at its eastern end to accord with the direction of the third breakwater ; on the east, which runs out from the shore in a southerly direction for a length of 3,3 20 ft. These three breakwaters, with a united length of rather more than Li m., are each built of massive concrete blocks in the form of a practically vertical wall founded on the solid chalk and rising to a quay level of 10 ft. above high water. Two entrances, one Boo ft. and the other 600 ft. in width, with a depth of about seven fathoms at low water, are situated at either end of the detached breakwater. In 1919 the naval base at Dover was given up and in 1923 the Admiralty harbour was transferred to the harbour board for commercial purposes.
Besides the mail service and harbour trade, Dover has a trade in shipbuilding, timber, rope and sail making, and ships' stores. Dover is a suffragan bishopric in the diocese of Canterbury. The parliamentary borough returns one member. The town is governed by a mayor, six aldermen and eighteen councillors. Area, 2,019 acres.
Dover (Debris) was one of the ports for continental traffic in Roman times. In the 4th century it was guarded by a fort lying down near the harbour, and forming part of the defences of the Saxon shore (Litus Saxonicur). As a Cinque Port, Dover (Dofra, Dovorra) had to contribute twenty of the quota of ships fur nished by those ports; in return for this service a charter of liber ties was granted to the ports by Edward the Confessor, making the townsmen quit of shires and hundreds, with the right to be im pleaded only at Shepway, and other privileges, which were con firmed by subsequent kings, with additions, down to James II. During the middle ages Dover castle was an object of contention both in civil wars and foreign invasions, and was considered the key to England ; the constable of the castle, who from the reign of John was appointed by the crown, was also warden of the Cinque Ports. The castle was successfully defended in 1216 against the French under the dauphin Louis by Hubert de Burgh. In 1685 Charles II. confirmed to the inhabitants of Dover a fair beginning on Nov. II, which had been held of old in the town, and granted two others on April 23 and 24 and on Sept. 25 and 26.
After the decay of Richborough harbour the passage from Dover to Whitsand, and later to Calais, became the accustomed route to France, and by a statute of 1465 no one might ship for Calais except at Dover. The guardians of the harbour were incor porated by James I. in 1607.
See S. P. H. Statham, History of the Castle, Town and Port of Dover (1899) ; and Dover Charters and other Documents (19o2).
Eustace is said to have been under the impression that they meant to attack Calais in his absence, and to have derided them because he had left the town well guarded. When they were to windward of his fleet the Cinque Port ships bore down on the enemy. As they approached they threw unslaked lime in the air and the wind blew it in the faces of the French. This form of attack, and the flights of arrows discharged by the English (which flew with the wind), produced confusion in the crowded benches of the French vessels, which in most cases must have been little more than open boats. The Monk was defeated, and his fleet was entirely scattered, sunk or taken. His own vessel was cap tured. Eustace, who had concealed himself in the bilge, was dragged out. In answer to his appeals for quarter and promises to pay ransom, he was told by Richard, the bastard son of King John, that he was a traitor who would not be allowed to deceive more men. His head was struck off by Richard, and was sent round the ports on a pike. The Cinque Port seamen returned in triumph, towing their prizes, after throwing the common soldiers overboard, and taking the knights to ransom according to the custom of the age. The political importance of the battle was great, for it gave the death-blow to the cause of the barons who supported Louis, and it secured Henry III. on his throne. But the defeat and death of the Monk was widely regarded as in a peculiar sense a victory over the powers of evil. The man became within a few years after his death the hero of many legends of piracy and necromancy.
Ascertainable fact is less picturesque, but enough is known to show that he was an adventurous and unscrupulous scoundrel. In his youth he was a monk, and left the cloister to claim an inheritance from the count of Boulogne. Not having received satisfaction he became a freebooter on land and sea, and mer cenary soldier. He is frequently mentioned in the Pipe, Patent and Close Rolls. For a time he served King John, but when the king made friends with the count of Boulogne, he fled abroad, and entered the service of the French prince Louis and his father Philip Augustus. Chroniclers lavish on him the titles of "archi pirata," "vir flagitiosissimus et nequissimus," and poets made him an associate of the devil.
The evidence concerning Eustace is collected by Herren Wendelin Forster and Johann Trost, in their edition of the French poem "Wistasse le moine" (Halle, i 8g i) . See for the battle Sir N. Harris Nicolas, History of the Royal Navy (London, 1847).
The Dover Patrol.—Dover Harbour provided the head quarters of the Dover Patrol during the World War. The area of the Patrol extended roughly from the North Foreland to Beachy Head, including both sides of the Channel. The functions of the Patrol were, primarily, to keep the narrows of the Channel open to traffic. London could not be fed by rail alone. Had sea traffic to London been stopped it would have been necessary at once to transport one third of the population to the west coast. The traffic had to be protected from mines, submarine boats and destroyer attacks. On an average 66 trawlers were used for mine sweeping and traffic duties ; approximately 1 oo,000 merchant vessels passed during 19 r inclusive, and of these only 48 were mined and 7 torpedoed; the percentage loss for the three years was .035, •o8 and .066 respectively; 5,6I4,5oo troops were trans ported between Folkestone and Boulogne without a single casualty or accident. Nine and a half million mail bags were sent without the loss of a single letter or parcel.
The next important duty of the Patrol was hunting submarines. At first these vessels passed down the straits on the surface, diving only when they were sighted. It was then simple to attack them. After 1915 they dived when well to the eastward and passed the narrows entirely submerged. Many schemes were tried to defeat them, and as soon as mines became available a barrage of lines of mines moored at various depths was laid be tween Folkestone and Grisnez. This was nearly completed by January 1918 and the first submarine was destroyed in it in December 1917. This in the end completely stopped the passage of submarines and destroyed a considerable number of them.
At the commencement of the war the Dover Patrol force operated with the army in checking the German advance through Belgium by their gun fire and made the shore road difficult for the Germans to use. Subsequently the Patrol was called on to defend the sea flank of the army and by feints of landings to draw troops from the main offensive to the coast. To assist in the advance which was contemplated in 1917 three in. guns, seven 9.2 and eight 7.5 in. guns were landed and mounted, at the same time arrangements were made for landing 20,000 men on the coast between Ostend and Westend. Pontoons 55 feet long loaded with men and accessories were constructed to be pushed ahead of the monitors on to the beach. This landing was never carried out, as the commander-in-chief did not consider it advantageous to land troops until the army had reached Roulers. It never pushed on beyond the Passchendaele Ridge. The only attacks by the enemy prior to 1918 on the Dover defences were those made by destroyers at night. Darkness and surprise coupled with the meagre allowance of destroyers for Dover made these raids very difficult to cope with, but the damage done was insignificant, the total losses being two merchant vessels (one empty), two de stroyers and six drifters. During the fourth raid the Broke and Swift sank two German destroyers, and for a time the raids ceased. During 1918 a last raid was made on the vessels protecting the mine barrage and several were sunk.
An examination service for the detection of contraband was established in the Downs. All North and South going traffic had to anchor and be examined. This work was largely undertaken by Naval Reserve officers under a post captain. In 1917, when raids by German destroyers threatened the safety of the vessels in the Downs, the Northern examination service was moved inside the Thames shoals.
Vessels at Dover were also called on to undertake bombard ments of the dockyard at Ostend and the submarine base at Zeebrugge. The result of these operations was that the dock yard was made untenable and the destroyers and submarines forced up the canal to Bruges. In 1916 the aircraft were used for spotting with successful results, several of the bombardments being carried out without the Belgian coast being sighted by the ships. The force of destroyers available at Dover before 1917 was very small having regard to the duties they were called on to perform, only six mounted 4-in. guns. During the latter year they were augmented. Of the 12 Tribal class half were mined or tor pedoed. A constant patrol was kept up eight miles off the Belgian coast during the summer months of 1916-17. This was made possible by first laying down the barrage of mines and mined nets seven miles from the coast to protect the ships from attack on the shore side. The only ship damaged while on patrol was the monitor Terror which was struck by a boat controlled electrically from the shore.
Blocking operations were carried out during 1918 when Zee brugge (q.v.) was attacked and blocking ships skilfully sunk in the Channel which however owing to its physical formation was not, and could not be, effectively blocked. A similar attempt on Ostend failed, though attempted with great gallantry. The drifters like the trawlers were invaluable in the English Channel, first drifting nets to entangle submarines, then watching the barrages. On the Belgian coast they laid 12 miles of armoured mine nets for two years in succession. The motor launches also were of considerable value for sundry services, specially burning smoke screens to hide the ships bombarding. These screens were necessary since the effective range of the monitors' guns was only about 75% that of the shore batteries. The French naval armaments on the north coast of France were under the orders of the Admiral of the Dover Patrol and did excellent service throughout the war. The air service at Dunkirk was also one of the arms of the Patrol and was invaluable both on the coast and also in assisting the army, notably at the battle of the Somme when the army was very deficient in aircraft. Without the breakwater and harbour facilities at Dover the protection of the straits would have been impossible, and the evacuation of the wounded most difficult. Practically the whole of the wounded at the front were safely landed at the Admiralty Pier and from there despatched to the various hospitals.