i

r-y-

1:-

^irClj

ill 4:|lii^^
I
I

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1,;!^

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^^SJ^ft^^t^

^ /I

14

AN ACCOUNT
0? THE

PRIOEY OF S. MARTIN, DOVER

BY
J.

TAVENOR PERRY,
the

M.R.I.A.

Avthor of the "ntualratimt of

Ucdixcai Antiquitia of Dm-ltam," <ic

JAMES PARKER
1871

& CO.

OXFOED & LONDON.

'

StacK

Annex

5
)^

The

following account forms the substance of a paper

read on the occasion of the opening of the Refectory

to the Priory of S. Martin, Dover, after
for
its

restoration

the

use

of

the

Dover College Company.

The

history of the

building can

only be gathered fi'om

county chronicles, or the publications of archaeological

societies,

not easily
is

accessiljJc

to general readers

this

pamphlet

intended to give in a more convenient

form the information which would otherwise have to

be painfully gleaned from old and cumbersome volumes.
It is also

hoped that

it

may

call

some attention

to a

buUding, which, fr-om

its position,

and the neglect to

is

which

it

has so long been subjected,

too

little

known.
be

Any

profit

which

may

arise

fr'om the sale will

devoted to further works of restoration, more particulary to the

new

refectory door.

Clielsea, 1871.

2008162

PLATES.

General View of the Gateway, as proposed

to be restored

.....
.

Frontispiece,

Interior of the Eefectory as restored

Title.

The door

to

be inserted in the south

-wall
.

of the Eefectory adjoiaing the Lavatory

Page

1 8.

Plan of remains of the Priory

(In this plan the pai-ts

24.

now standing

are tinted, the other jiortions have

heen recently destroyed, and are restored partly from Dr. Plumtree's
plan of the ehuruh, and partly from the Ordnance Survey and other
sources.)

PRIORY OF

S.

MARTIN, DOVER.

Among
of

the

many

remains of mediaeval art

left to

us

in this country

there are few

of SS.

so interesting as those
at

the

Priory
its

Maiy and Martin

Dover.

AVhetlier for

history, or for its artistic value as the

\\Teck of a once magnificent pile

of buildings,

it

is

well worthy of careful study.

The
and

history of

its

foun-

dation carries us back

to the time
shores,

when

the

Eoman
is

had scarcely quitted our

an example of that
all

its architectiu:e

brilliant period of art

when almost

our principal buildings were founded or reconstructed

by the Norman conquerors.

Early after the conversion of the Saxons

we

find

a college for secular canons was established at Dover,

and,
of a
if

tradition be correct, this

earlier

was only the re\dval

Its

still

foundation.^

history,

and the

'

Tlie

church in the Castle

is

said to have been raised

tlie

British

by King Lucius, and

by Eadbald, the son and successor of S. Ethelbert. Eadbald founded here a college
re-built

of secular canons, but at the end of the seventh century, tliey were removed to the new priory of tS. !Martin-le-Grand by King
\Vihtred.

PEIORY OF

S.

MARTIN, DOVER.
it

liistory

of the church with which

was connected,

have been well told by Canon Puckle in his valuable

work on the Chui'ch

is

in the Castle/ a

work which
first

doubtless well

known

to all interested in the antithis

cpities of Dover.

The canons of

founda-

tion appear, however, to have been early dispossessed

of their house

and they found a new home

in the

Priory of S.

Martin-le-Grand in the valley below.

ill-

There, boasting of royal privileges and perhaps

advisedly presuming on tlipm,

we

find

them when

our history of this Piiory comn;ences.^

The great Norman Conquest was not merely a change

of dynasty but a complete subjugation of the people
;

and the English monks in the quiet of

felt,

their cloisters

as well as their

countrymen, the hard hand of the

victor.

Throughout the length and breadth of the

land the intrusion of

Norman

priors

and abbots into

the religious houses soon followed the conquest, and the discontent and

murmuring

of the brothers often

produced violent tumults and changes.

Everj'w^here

we

find the secular priests superseded

;

by monks

of

the newer orders

^

while in places like Durham, the

They were to ho suhject no prelate or ordinary. JMuss was not to be begun in any church in the town until the bell of S. Martin-le-Grand gave notice that it had commenced there. The church was to "be esteemed as the King's chapel, and to be subject only to his
castle.

of

" The Church and Fortress Dover Castle," by the Eev. !M.A.

to

John Puckle,

^ The special privileges with winch they Avere endowed are given by Hasted as follows They were to have tlje same fraucliises and privileges as they had hitherto enjoyed in the
:

jurisdiction.

PRIORY OF

S.

MARTIN, DOVER.
Cutlibert,
it

fame of whose Saxon

saiut,

was too great

and wide-spread to be ignored,

was a Norman bishop

and

aUeu followers who raised the glorious pile which still frowns above the Wear, to the memory of the sainted compatriot of those whom he had just
his

ruthlessly thrust out at their

own convent
:

doors.

Some such change took place at Dover and, although we may know nothing of the incidents connected with
and these buildings The testify that it was at once violent and complete. jealousy existing between the secular priests and the
it,

the ruins of S. Martin-le-Grand

so-called

religious

orders

was

very strong at the

affected

period

when

this Priory

was commenced and

its

to a considerable extent
Corljoil,

early

history.

William

Archlnshop of Canterbury, at whose instiga-

tion,

or under whose direction, these changes were

at Dover,

made

was himself an Austin Canon.

He

had been for some time before his appointment Prior of the House of S. Osyth, and had been put into his
high position as a
the

man holding

a middle place l^etween

two great

parties

which at that time disturbed the

For some years he had been clerk to the celebrated Flambard, bishop of Durham,* and
English Church.
Ealpli Flamliard, or Passewas the son of a village priest of Bayeux, and his mother was reputed to be a witch. He was Dean of Christ Churcl), Hampshire, and afterwanls the
*

of

flabcre,

oliurch

Bishop
says, "

of

Durham.

Waleott

He was

the most subtle

lie robbed every under his charge, and reduced rich and poor to such indigence that they preferred In death to life under him. 1095 the kingdom was entrusted to him, while he held sixteen churches, cathedrals and abbeys,

men

in evil

PRIORY OF

S.

MARTIN, DOVER,

_^

it

would be interesting

to

know how

far he possessed

in

common with

his master, the taste

and love

for

architectural magnificence.
at

At Christchurch l\vynham,

Durham, and throughout his diocese, Flambard had commenced and carried out works, large and important even for that time of building activity
;

and

one

who was

so closely associated

with him as his

less

chaplain,

must have been more or

influenced

by the works he saw around him.

the Archbishop displaying that love

Accordingly, at

Canterbury, at Merton,* and here at Dover, Ave find

for

bricks

and

mortar which he might well have acquired under

such a master.
Instead of attempting any enlargement of the old
house,
his

by means of the funds the suppression placed at disposal and of a gi-ant made by the king, he com-

menced an entirely new house upon a difl'ereut site. The ground he selected for his work was at that time outside
the

town walls and was, no

douljt,

unencumbered with
found.itinns

without bishop or abbot, which he reduced to the depths of

poverty."
architect,

"

The

of

the

He was
and

great

built, besides the

naves of Cliristchurch, T^vynNorhani and Durham Castle.MottesfordPnory, Lincoln,

Austin Canon Priory of JMertun were said to have been hiid in 1092 (.Stone), but a convent of wood was erected in 1115
(Lysons), and
tlie first

ham,

prior

and

and Kepyer Hospital, Durham. In association with such a man, Corboil, if not rendered more
for his high office of archbishop, no doubt aciiuired some knowledge of architectural

suitable

canons took possession in 1117, (Tanner). The convent was first built of stone in 1130, and the new convent entered by the canons in 11 30, so that the works here were in progress at the same time as at Dover,

art.

PEIORY OP
Other l.uUdiugs.

S.

MARTIK, DOVER.

he Being himself an Austin Canon,

of his order, prepared his ne^v house for members Church Canterpassing over the BenecUctines of Christ theii- jealousy to such bury, in a manner that provoked

afterwards. a degree as to cause him much trouble regular clergy The Austin Canons were an order of

the newer orders of holding a middle position between extent after the monks'' brought over to a great of secular canons. conquest, and the older orders

They were

in fact

living under rule.

a community of parish priests Such an order would be of most

in importance, valurin a town at that time increasing use of the people. and with but few churches for the their churches They required ample accommodation in the extent congregations and cared less about
for

arrangements. and gorgeousness of thek choral

In

they gave to thcii- buildthe architectural character Benedictmes were more modest than the
ino-s

they

monks they cared Uttle and other enclosed orders of theii- churches, and about towers as a decoration to more rich and varied preferred square east ends to the
;

It will be fashionable. apsidal terminations then so plan of this Priory to interesting in going over the although how far it accorded with theh- rules; and

see
it

house, I think we afterwards became a Benedictine examination, that the Priory shall find, from a careful
of S. Martin

was in

to fact a house built according

the rules of the Austin Canons. permission for the supAi-chbishop Corboil obtained

10

PRIORY OF

S.

MARTIN, DOVER.

pression of the old house in 1130.

The king had been

present at Canterbuiyatthe dedication of the Cathedral,"

which had been conducted with great magnificence in

the presence of the

King

of Scotland

and

all

the

Bishops of England.
stone fi-om a
as the

Corboil also received a grant of

quany near Caen said still to be known quany of S. Martin and arrangements were made so that the work was actually commenced in the
following year.

The work seems

to have been hurried

on considerably, and a large portion was completed

in the course of the following three years,

when some
to

of the Canons for

whom

it

was preparing were sent

take possession.

These canons were from the Abl)ey

of Merton in Surrey, a house with which the Arclil)ishop

had been connected and in

Avhich

he evi-

dently took some interest.

This introduction was,

however, violently opposed by the monks of Christchurch,

the gi-ant of the

ferred that
it

who claimed to have received from the king new Prior)-, and who naturally preshould be inhaljited by those of their

own

To support their claim, they prepared to send one of their number to Eome, and, what was
order.

perhaps more to the purpose, they at once intro-

duced some of their monks to turn out the intruders,

and hold the house

in dispute

for their convent xuitil the matter

was

settled.

By

the death of the Arch-

This was the dedication of the church built by Lani'ranc, and enlarged by Anselm, after-

wards destroyed by
fire,

tlie

great

PRIORY OF

S.

MARTTK, DOVER.

11

bishop the canons soon lost their friend and supporter,

and

they disappear

entirely

from

the

stoiy,

dis-

puting no further for the house which had been The monks of Christchurch do prepared for them.
not, however, appear to

have been at

fu-st

successful

in keeping peaceable possession.

Heniy of Winchester,
at

the

papal

legate,

to

whom

they appealed

the

death

of Corboil,

decided that they were in

illegal

occupation, and forthwitli sent

them home again

to

Canterbury.
Corboil's

But on the appointment of Theobald, successor to the Archbishopric, after some

the matter was fuially settled by

further disputing,

the introduction of some Benedictines, with the sacrist

of Christchurch as prior.

Constant bickerings and

petty quarrels as to then- right to join in the elections

of the archbishops, or as to the appointment of their
o^vn
priors,

disturbed

their

peace for

many

years,

but no attempt was again made to alter the arrange-

ment and

rule of the Benedictine order.'

The progress

of the works

had probably been stopped

' The hiatory of the foundation from the beginning wiis

briefly this

(ij

At an uncertain

date the

churchinthcCastlewasbuilt. (2) Eadbahl founds there a college for twenty-two secular canons,
(3)

About G96, VVihtred moves those canons to the new foundation of S. Martin-le-Grand, and endows them with special jirivileges.
(-1)

Corboil obtains permission for a change of the order. (."5) He commences the now work and introduces Austin canons. (G) The convent of Christ Church oppose, and turn out the new cauong. (7) Corboil dying, on appeal, the Pope's legate turns out the monks from Canterbury, The new Archbisliop re(8)

In 1130, Archbishop

who Henedictines, introduces maintain possession afterwards.

12
while
the

PRIORY OF
tliese serious

S.

MARTIX, DOVER.

disagreements were proceeding but

;

new

Ai'chbishop soon

interested
it

himself in the

completion of the buildings, and

in the
first

would appear that

year or two of his rale they were nearly

finished.

The
at

Priory, as left

by Theobald, was not much

altered

any subsequent

period,

and the principal portions

remaining at the Eeformation, with a few exceptions,

were of his times.

foundation,

About a hundred years

works were
in

after the

considerable

progress

a bake-house and brew-house being particularly mentioned.

Although we find no reference to them,

al)out

no doubt
were
built.

this

date the

Gateway and Barn

forces at that time

In 1295 veiy

much damage was done

to the buildings

by the French
in

laying siege to the Castle, and traces of their mischief

are
It

evident
is

both

the
if

refectory

and

the court

gate.

somewhat doubtful

the
it

cloister

had

its usiial

arcade surroundincr

from the

first,

as the

remains which have been discovered rather indicate

that
it

was

built about the

same time

as the

gateway

and the bake-house.

In 1484, however, the will of

a Robert Lucas was proved, by which thirteen and

four pence was left for the
It is scarcely

making

of the

new

cloister.

probable,
as

however, that this cloister

late

was ever

built,

no fragments of work so

in

date have been found in the ruins.

When,

before the suppression, the convent

it

was

in-

spected by the King's Visitors

seems to have been in

PRIOR Y OF
a decapng condition.

S.

MARTIX, DOVER.

13

Bad management
good cause

or diminished

revenues had brought the house to the verge of bank-

ruptcy

and we

see

for the grief of the

honest inhabitants of Dover, to which the commissioners referred in their report, in the inventory of

goods, which at that time were " impledged"* to other

inhabitants, to

whom

the Prior had had recourse.' the Prior

house was voluntarily surrendered by

The and

brethren on the 16th November, 1535, and the buildings and revenues granted to the See of Canterbur}^

The

stalls in

the Church were given to S. Marj^'s, but

the altars were not finally removed until 1549.'

materials of the church were then given to the

The

towm
gates,

of Dover for the repairs of the

town walls and

finest

and

so,

piece

by

piece,

one of the

monastic

churches ih this countiy has been utterly swept away.

These are

all

the historical facts I can give you in

reference to the Prioiy, but

we may

yet find several

'

Certeii pnrcelh- plate to cer-

(<as

ten pargoiis implegrj.

j.

pyx

of

it was reaported unto us) found the house at his fj'rst

ix.*''Ii.

sylver

and

gilte

Thomas

Mansell,

inpledyed to of Dover,

comyng thither indented in

and
liath

reduced and lirought

j. cote for an image of S. Thomas, garnyshed with divers broches, rynges, and other Jewells Lnpledgedto Kobcrt

liocher, for vij".

that to c". as itt is said, of whose nowe case dyvers of the honest inhahitants of Dovor shewe themselves veray sory."
letter

]\Ialyn for

" Archaiologia
7.

The

original

in

MS.

Cautiana."

Vol.

Wakott.

E. IV.,

fol.

Cotton. 219."

Cleop.,

* " The house of Dovor is a goodly house, and well repayred

in

all places,
;

as far as
tliat

we cowd
the
prior

perceyve

and

" Xo traces of the stalls or pews I believe were discovered in S. JIary's, when it was restored some years since.

14

PRIORY OF

S.

MARTIN, DOVER.

matters to interest us by turning to the buildings

themselves.

The most important

all

part, the centre

round which

the monastic

buildings

grouped themselves, has

almost entirely disappeared.

of S. Martin,

The great Priory Church

in

must have been comparable, both

importance and extent, to

many

of the cathedrals
careful

now

standing."

Thanks to the

attentions

of Dr. Plumtree, at a period peculiarly fovourable to

observation,

we have
all

a tolerably complete plan of the

Its square east end,

church in

its

original state.

and

the absence of

preparation
it

for

western towers,
l^efore

point to the progress

dictine influence

had made

the Bene-

was

felt;

while the proportions of the

nave and the means of access provided on the town

side

shew the arrangements which were made

for large

congregations.'''

Portions of the north and west walls

still

of the nave

may

be seen in

situ,

thanks to the

" Tlio dimensions of this church, as ascertained from an inspection of the foundations, are, total length abmit 300 ft., breadth across transepts 1 GO ft. The centre aisle of the nave was about 35 ft. wide, and the side aisles 18 ft. The size of the

"

It will

be seen by reference

to the plan at the end, that these

separate entrances are sliown iu the south and west sides of the church, the sides most accessible to the town, while the side next

the cloisters only shows a single

entrance.
rect

How

far this is coi-

was about 30 ft., and seems to have been prej)ared for The transepts, wliich a tower. had no aisles but apsidal chapels in the east side, were the same
crossing

at the time

judge, but Mr. Plumtree prepared his plan he was doubtless well able to avoid any mist;iko on these points,

we cannot now

width
nave.

as the centre aisle of the

PRIORY OF

S.

MARTIN, DOVER.

15

care of Mr. Cliignell, in whose hands the rains have

been for two years. '^

It is

somewhat curious

tliat

the fate which overtook

its

the Priory Church of S. Martin, Dover, has

parallel

in that which has overtaken that of S. Martin at Tours.'*

There, one of the

main

streets of the

town runs down

the centre aisle of the choir and nave, while a cross

street occupies the position

of the transepts.

And

here at Dover, the houses of Saxon Street look out

into

what was once the

choir, while

Effingham Street

exactly takes the place of the transepts, the chapter-

house and the dormitory."

The chapter-house adjoined the north transept north

" While the buildings were Mr. Chignell's possession he also did a great deal of work to the refectory and gateway, with
in

a view of maintaining rather than restoring the old work, and

we have

to

thank him,

to a con-

siilerable extent, for their present

the crucifix, Marye and John, of sylver and parcell gilte. Item, ij. chalics with the patents of sylver and gylte. Item, j. chalice with one paten of sylver parceU gylte. Item, j. senser of sylver parcell gylte. Item, j. paxe of sylver and gylte.with the crucifix

comparatively perfect state.

Marye and John parceU

Item,
j.

gylte.

" " Notice

siir

le

Tombeau

de Saint Martin," Tours, 18G1. Tliis great church was almost entirely destroyed at the beginning of this century, but active measures were being taken before the last war for a restoration of
at least the choir.

" The following is an inventory of the plate in the church at the Eeforination
:

shippe of sylver parcell gylte. Item, j. small spone belonging to the same sliippe of sylver. Item, j. crewytts of sylver parcell gylte. Item, j. olde relique partly covered with sylver plate and tlie residew with cooper and gylte. Item, j. pyx of cooper and gylte with
certen reliques therein conteyned.

Itm,

wood
.

Plate and Jewels in

First,
j.

ilia

imd Vedi/ere:

CLueyre

j. j.

dubell crosse of j. litle j)latedwith sylver. Item, bassiin of lattyn, gylted. Item,

payre of orgaynes.

crossc of sylver with

16

PRIORY OF

S.

MARTIN, DOVER.
or

ward without the usual slype

intervening.
identical with those of

small apartment

Its plan and proportions were nearly-

siderably

less.'"

Durham, but its size was conThe dormitory, which was about
end
of

150
as

feet long,

continued the line of buildings as far

Effingham

House, passing by the

the

Eefectoiy.''

The

buildins;

on the north side of the

it is

cloisters

formed

the Eefectory of the Priory, and

of the remains.
liy

the most important

feet in length

It

measures about 100

27

feet
is

m "width,
aliout

and

its

height to the starting of

the roof

30

feet.

The windows

are pierced
all

through a simple continuous arcade, which runs

round

the inside of the building.

It will be noticed

that the cajtitals and abaci of the north and south

sides differ

from those at the end, and do not properly

These capitals

accord with the style of the work.

were evidently mserted after the French attack,

when

'" The Chapter -house at Durham, tlie work of Galfrid Paifus, was about 80 ft. long, ending with an apse as here. It was vaulted with a bareel vault and semi-dome over the apse. Not being convenient for modern capitular meetings, it was pulled

Gloucester, Winchester, S. Albans, Durham, Finchale, &c. It formed a passage between the cloisters and the cemetery or .space at the back of the dormitory

and chapter-house,
'' Tlie Dortor here at Dover appears to have been a low building of one storey, as the gable of the refectory was provided with windows at the end adjoining it, whit'h must have looked over its roofs.

down

at the

century

to

beginning of this make way for a

modern parlour. It was usual

called

in Benedictine houses to have a small passage,

the slype, between the transept to the church, as at

PRIORY OF
the

S.

MARTIN, DOVER.
seriously

17

Refectory
fire.

must have been

damaged

by

sills

at

The windows on the south side have their a higher level than those on the noi-th, an
cloisters

arrangement necessitated by the height of the

passing along below.

The roof with which it was covered previous to the restoration was almost entirely of modern construction,
and quite out of keeping with the
itself.

style of the building

It

was

besides in a very unsafe state,

it

and the

opportunity was taken to replace

with a roof more

in accordance with the character of the

Norman work.
was

For two hundred years at

least this Refectory

used as a barn, and was ruthlessly knocked about to suit the unworthy purpose to which it was devoted
but fortunately one of the most interesting features ui
the place has nevertheless been preserved.

The

large

drawing of the Last Supper at the east end is, I believe, unique in England, and though it is so much damaged
that
it

has ceased to be in any

way

ornamental,

it

bears most valuable traces of what was once a great

work

of art,

and should be carefully and

at the

religiously

preserved untouched by any attempt at restoration.^*

The doorway

west end occupies the same

at a later date,

" The general arrangement of this work would almost suggest that it had heen painted after some account of the celebrated " Last Supper,'' which Leonardo da Vinci painted for the refectory of S. Dominic, of
Wilan. The figures are life-size, The painting has been retouched

and the position

Porof S. John's head altered. tions of the second work falling away, liave disclosed tlie other head, giving to S. John a some-

what ludicrous
plaster with

effect.

The nimbi

are in all cases stamped into the

sunk

rays.

18

PRIORY OF

S.

MARTIN, DOVER.
but the stone work

position as the original entrance

has unfortmiately been removed.

One fragment

re-

mains in the grounds, which

part of the
lintel,

may

perhaps have formed

and quantities of enriched archfine the

mouldings lying about shew how

doorways here

must have been.

the same

Those who know the rich works of

Bai-frestone,

kmd at Patrixbourne,
of the

and

S.

Mar-

garets at Cliffe near Dover, will easily restore in their

own minds an image

The arrangements
very simple.

doorway

here.'^

of the refectory,

when

in use,

were

The Prior and

his guests sat at a table

placed across the east end, slightly raised on a dais.

The cups and

in the

vessels belonging to his table

were kept
to housing

aumbrye

at the side

now devoted

the gas meter.

The

down

the sides of

monks were ranged the room, and a wooden pulpit

tables for the

stood near the dais, from which the appointed psalms

Avere read during; the meal.

The inventory given

of the utensils and furniture

found in the refectory at the suppression scarcely

supports the popular delusion that eating was one of the chief employments of the
ages
:

monks

in the

middle

" In a plate, No. 134, of " Buck's Antiquities," is a view of the Maison Dieu, with the Priory in the backgi'ound. The Eofectory and the Guest house appear therein much in their present state, except that at the east end of the latter there is

a small building sho%vn adjoining, and at the west end of the former is a tower-like erection

above the roof of the In the middle is a wall pierced by two tall arches which looks like the gable end
rising
liefectory.

of the Dortur.

iJpS^sS

V
'1^
^5i:r

PLAN-

PRIORY OF

S.

MARTIN, DOVER.

19

"In

the
j.

Va-ft'te

where the Moncks do dyne,

j.

olde table,

fourme,

j.

cusshon of verder,

j.

booke of the Bybyll

\vr)i;ten.

"

111

the Buttiye next to the

to dine,

same vawte where the

with a cover

moncks do use
j.

salte of sylver parcel! gylte

to the same, vj. silver sponnes with wreethed

knoppes gylted,
ij.

ij.

old plapie table clothes,

iij.

old playne to wells,

napkyns playne,
iij.

j.

bason and

j.
j.

ewar of pewtar,
smalle lampe,
v.

bell

candillsticks,

chaffjTX

dyshes of latten."
After
theii-

dinner the

monks washed

their

hands at
cloisters.

the lavatory by the

refectory

door in the

This lavatory consisted of an arcade of three arches over the washing place, and appears to belong to the

second period of building operations at the Prioiy, to

which we have already

referred.

At by

the west end of the refectory stood the kitchen,

side of the cloister

and the remaining

the cellarage.

was occupied

In the houses of the Austin Canons, the Prior's lodge

was almost invariably attached

of the nave of the church.

to the south-west angle

Here, however, the position

of the church in reference to the

town prevented such

or, possibly, if

an arrangement, and the lodge would seem to have stood

between the gateway and the cellarage

buUt by the Benedictines, on the other side of the

great court

by the Guesten

Hall.

20

PRIOEY OF

S.

MARTIN, DOVER.

The gateway appears

to

have suffered more from the

French devastations than any other part of the convent.

At

the time of their attack

it

must have been barely

Eeconstiiicted
it

finished,

but

it

would seem nevertheless that a con-

siderable portion

was thro\vn down.

at a later date of fragments saved from the ruins,

presents

some strange anomalies.

and prepared
for

originally groined
cullises
;

The gateway was one or two portand the groining

fire-

but, in the rebuilding, these

wei'e omitted.

In the upper chambers are some

lintels,

places with

wooden

which evidently from

their

character could only have been inserted shortly anterior

to the dissolution.

small chamber, reached by an

into

external staircase,

and with a window opening

the gateway, seems to have formed a chapel, and at the

entrance to

it is

a niche for the holy water stoop, and

a recess for the altar and a piscina are in the east wall.

The upper chamber

adjoining which
tlie
is

of the

gateway appears only to

side,

have been reached from the buildings on the east

a small turret staircase leading to

The gateway, mifortunately now in a veiy ruinous condition, urgently demands careful repairs. It is to be hoped that if some other means be not
roof.

forthcoming, the success of the College will justify the

council in restoring
priate use.*"
-"

and devoting

it

to

some appro-

Tho

frontispiece

view of
to

this

shows a gateway as proposed

be.yon(I raising the walls to their

original level

and

re-ruoliuy the

No alteration be restored. would be made iu the structure

whole,

PRIORY OF

S.

MARTIX, DOVER.

21

The great Priory barn, which some

living doubtless

very well recollect, stood at the south-west corner of the great court, and seems, from the views of it remaining, to

example of 13th century work/' Another building, which I have only mentioned It is quite possible incidentally, is the Guesten Hall.
have been a
fine

that the erection of a building of this size

was not at Priory, and first contemplated by the founders of the that it was part of the scheme the completing the work
and
fittino;
it

as far as

could be for

its

Benedictine

The Guest house, however, was frequently placed at some distance from the cloister, and in a
owners.

town such as Dover, where the succession of travellers must have been nearly continuous, it was perhaps
thought necessary not to allow of too close an intercourse between

monks and their guests. The character of the work is distinctly later than that The building consists of of the church and refectory.
the

opening into a narrower one through pointed arches carried on bold cylindrical piers, with

one broad

aisle,

an elegant variety of the usual Norman scolloped These capitals are similar to some at S. Marcapital.
garets at
rare form.
large
Clifi"e,

but are nevertheless of an exceedingly

of the centre aisle of which remains.

At the west end fire-place, the chimney

all

was a

The

Avindows into the hall are

lancet shape, and more

style.

than any other feature shew the advance of

'
barn

There
in

is

a view

of this

foreground of a plate representing the remains

the

of the Priory, about a hundred years since, in "Grose's Antiquities of England."

22

PEIORY OF

S.

MARTIN, DOVER.

The mventoiy already quoted gives the following

list

of the various chambers, buildings, &c., throughout

:

the Priory, which contained any furniture

Choir and
(refec-

vestiy, Prior's o\\ai chamber. Chapel next the Prior's

chamber, the Great chaml^er, the White chamber, the

Prior's inner parlour.
tory),

Outer parlour, the Vawt

the Buttery, the Kitchen,

the Schoolmaster's

chamber, and Eichard Elam chamber.

A plan
it

is

given at the end, from which the general

disposition of the monastic buildings will be seen,

and

may

be

possil^le

with

its

assistance to trace

some of
is

the apartments mentioned above.

The church

shewn

at the south-east angle of the ground,

on the side

nearest Dover.

Its

west and two south doors appear

to have opened outside the convent enclosure, to give

free access to the people

of the town.

The
had

cloisters

lay on the north side of the nave, and

successively the north

to the east

transept

of

the

church, the
side

chapter house and the dormitory.

The north

was

occupied entirely by the refectory, and the east side

appears to have been devoted, as
to cellarage.
is

usually the case,

The kitchen and buttery may have

lodging in
all proba1)ility

been in the angle between the cellarage and the refectory.

The

prior's

extended

from the west end of the nave to the gateway, with

which possibly
mentioned the
adjoining.

it

communicated.

In the above

list

is

prior's

own

chaml)er and the chapel

The upper chamber of the gateway was a

with a large fire-place inserted at a

fine apartment,

PRIORY OF
later period

S.

MARTI Jf, DOVER.

builtling,

23

than that of the

with two traceried

it

windows, and having a small chapel adjoining

tlie

to

west.

It

may

perhaps, therefore, be the chamber

referred to.

The Great chamber and the White chamber

the Guest house, as there would scarcely

may have been

have been room for them close to the other buildings.

Bound the Guest house

will be seen

on the plan traces

of considerable remains, possibly of stables and lodgings for the servants of travellers.

The
time

position of the library

is

not shewai, nor

is

it

mentioned in the inventoiy, but we know that at one

it

was of some

little

importance.
is

Among

the

J\ISS. in the

Bodleian Libraiy at Oxford,

a catalogue

of the lil^rary of S.
folio

Martin Dover.
legibly Aratten, but
still

It is a small

in

veUum, very

damaged

in

the middle by damp, and

more

so

by the knife

of some illumination hunter with thieving propensities.

The compiler was John Whitefield, who appears from

the
catalogTie

to

have been the author of several

treatises.

The

seal of the Prior}^ is figured in Hasted's

"Kent."

The impression shews S. Martin di^viding his cloak mth the beggar. The legend was that the saint riding one day out of the gate of Amiens, met a poor and naked man, and haAing nothing about him but his cloak, he
shared
the
it

with the unhappy one.

In the restoration of

doorway

to the refectory the legend will be illus-

trated

by the sculpture of the tympanum.

of the Priory are given l)y

The arms

Dugdale as Sa.

24

praoRY OF

s.

martin, dover.

a cross Ar. betweeu four leopards faces Or.

is

The

cross

sometimes given as Or. as well as the

faces.
list.

The names
the Church

of the Priors form an uninteresting

to

One only seems

have attaiued any high position in

in 115 7,

Hugh, who was made Prior

and

who

in

1174 succeeded Thomas Becket as Ai'clibishop

of Canterbury.

We have now touched on all

more has
to be said.

the points in the history

interest,

and remains of the Priory of general

and

little

Some

considerable portion of the

buildings have

come into the hands of the Dover College

some of
More,

Company, and the Council, with praiseworthy regard

to the value of their acquisition, have devoted
their funds to the restoration of the Refectory.

they cannot do at present

has saved to Dover one of

but as their timely work

its

most perfect mediteval

buildings, others in their tm'n

to step forward

may possiljly be

induced

and give them a helping hand

in saving

from the destruction which threatens them, the Gate-

way and

the Guest house.

G.

SHIELD, PUI.NTEK, SLOANE SUVAUE, CHELSEA,

6.\V.

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