Public park constructed in 1883 including lanscaped lake, park keepers lodge, gothic drinking fountain, promenade above grassed slopes along N boundary of site and sheltered seats. Tennis courts and playground added. (1)


In 2017 the Kent Gardens Trust reviewed the available historical eivdence for the park. From the report:

"SUMMARY OF HISTORIC INTEREST
A public park laid out in 1883, extended in 1884, by Dover Town Council, leased
from the Department of Woods and Forests (Crown Estates) who owned the
land. The Park was purchased by Dover Town Council in 1962/3 from the Crown
Estates. It comprises amenity grassland, late C19 and early C20 ornamental
trees, pathways, tennis courts, five-a-side football pitch, children’s play area and
an ornamental lake. The Park lodge, originally built in 1883, to house the Park
Superintendent is now in private ownership.

CHRONOLOGY OF THE HISTORIC DEVELOPMENT
In the early C19, the area now known as Connaught Park was administered by
the Department of Woods and Forests on behalf of the War Department
(currently called Crown Estates) and formed part of Dover Castle Farm. Land to
the south of this farm, and north of the town of Dover, had been traditionally
devoted to agriculture and horticulture. As the population of Dover grew during
the C19, the demand for housing increased and the Woods and Forest
Department agreed to lease this land as a building estate. In 1866, the Dover
Land Company commenced construction of some roads to this estate. It was not
until 1881, however, when William Crundell, by an arrangement with the Woods
and Forest Department and the Trustees of the Land Company, took a 99 year
building lease of the entire estate, that construction commenced. The area
became known as Castle Estate.

In the first half of the C19, Western Heights, located close to the town, was freely
accessible to ramblers and provided rural walks with fine views. As the town
extended landwards, and fortification took place at Western Heights, limiting
public access, demand grew for a public park. Around 1881 a number of
influential local people of Dover formed a committee, under the chair of Dr
Edward Astley (1812- 1907), to create a public gardens on the Dover Castle
slopes. The committee approached the Department of Woods and Forests for
17.5 acres of Castle Farm to be leased at £20 per annum to the Corporation of
Dover on a 99 year lease as a public park or recreation ground. The lease was
granted on the understanding that the land could not be used for building
development except for one building for the use of the Park Superintendent. A
public subscription was set up which resulted in £2700 being raised for fencing,
planting and forming lawns and terraces on the sloping ground. William Crundell
gave a piece of adjacent land from the Castle Estate, which was to form the park
entrance. The maintenance of the park (to be known as Town Park or Peoples
Park) was to be a charge on the council rates and a section of the site was set
aside as a nursery (Kent History and Library Centre DO/CA1/16/2).

The layout of the Park was designed by Robert Chigwell (1837-1923) who owned
Castlemount, (on the other side of Connaught Road at the eastern end of the
Park), a preparatory school for boys, which had extensive grounds terraced with
lawns, plants and trees which the public were invited to enjoy when the pupils
were not in residence. The Park construction was supervised by Edward C May
who became the first Park Superintendent, occupying the newly built residence
adjacent to the main entrance. In May 1883, Dr Astley, as chairman of the
committee, handed over the keys to the mayor, and it was announced that the
Park was to open to the public for the next few weeks on Saturdays from 2pm
and on Sunday from noon until sunset. In order to make access easier the public
roads leading to the Park were widened and improved at a cost of £200 19
shillings. The road forming the southern boundary of the Park was known as
Love Lane but following the widening and Park opening it was later renamed
Connaught Road. Once the terraces had been created, walks were laid to enable
the public to promenade the entire length of the Park and enjoy the extensive
views of the sea, harbour and Western Heights. A small lake was created with a
central fountain. The nursery, adjacent to the Park lodge included a hot house
where plants could be grown or brought and kept for planting out
(doverhistorian.com).

In June 1884, the Park was extended eastwards to Castle Hill Road with the rent
increasing to £30 per annum for the enlarged park. An additional entrance was
created opposite the Castle. The Park was formally opened by the Duke and
Duchess of Connaught on 14 July 1884, the Duchess planting a holm oak
(quercus ilex) tree, and was renamed Connaught Park.
Mr William Tourney Tourney, the eccentric owner of Brockhill Estate, Hythe,
presented a pair of whale jawbones to the town in 1886, which were later erected
in the Park as a 7m (22ft) high arch near the west end of the lake. The arch
became unsafe in 1967 and was to be demolished, despite local opposition, but
this move was preempted, the arch being cut down one night by vandals (Kent
Messenger 3 & 17 March 1967).

In 1886, tennis lawns were opened to the public and a 30m (99ft) high flagpole
was erected presented by William Crundall. Dr Astley presented a drinking
fountain at the east end of the lake, and a shelter midway along the upper path
and by 1888 a summerhouse had been erected (Kent History and Library Centre
DO/CA1/16/4).

By 1889, the Park had two glasshouses. The Park Superintendent was paid £2
per week with a rent free lodge, free oil and coal, and supervised four staff
earning between twenty three shillings and thirteen shillings per week. In 1891
Isaac Berry was appointed Head Gardener from 105 applicants following the
resignation of E C May (Kent History and Library Centre DO/CA1/16/3).
Public toilets were installed in May 1896. In the early part of the C20, the council
engaged the unemployed to dig out part of the hillside within the Park in order to
create additional tennis courts and, in 1912, a croquet lawn. A variety of religious
meetings, services, band concerts and firework displays were held in the Park
during this period. A Pageant Week was celebrated in 1908, with James Pain &
Sons (fireworks manufacturer) engaged to illuminate the Park, and there were
more firework displays here during the annual cricket week held in Dover. In the
years prior to the outbreak of the 1st World War, the Park was managed by a
head gardener and five gardeners (Kent History and Library Centre DO/CA1/16/4
&5).

During the inter war years, Connaught Park became known for its splendid
flowerbeds, lawns, shrubberies, promenades and celebrations. On Easter
weekend 1919, the Dover Peace Celebrations Committee provided a tea in the
Park for 6500 children. In 1921, Sir William Crundall gave a garden party here for
nearly 8000 Dover school children. The council provided entertainment on
holiday weekends during the summer. On the 1925 August Bank Holiday, for
example, the Queen’s Royal Regiment Band gave concerts, and J S Pain and
Sons Ltd provided a firework display which 4000 people attended
(doverhistorian).

During the economic depression of the 1930s, work was provided by the council
for the unemployed. A children’s play area was built in 1932, partly funded by a
grant of £50 from the Kent County Playing Fields Association (Dover District
Council legal documents). In 1934, the War Department gave permission for the
creation of a car park alongside Connaught Road, approximately 80m long, by
regrading the land and constructing a set of steps to provide access into the park.
A grand fete followed the planting of a copper beech tree by the Mayoress Mrs
Morecroft on 12 July 1933 to celebrate the golden jubilee of the opening of the
Park. Another tree was planted by the Mayoress Mrs Norman, in 1937, to
celebrate the coronation of King George VI.

Near the children’s play area, a trench shelter designed to accommodate 423
people, was built in 1938, as preparation for war, which was demolished but
rebuilt in 1939. During World War II, people were killed in the Park during bomb
raids and the upkeep of the Park was neglected (doverhistorian).
In the years following the war, various organisations held fetes and garden
parties at the Park, despite it being in a state of neglect. Money was finally set
aside by the council in 1954 for restoration of the Park, which was completed in
1956. The Scouting movement’s silver jubilee was celebrated in the restored
Park, and the Scouts continued to hold their annual fete at this location for the
next few years. The Park became the favoured venue for many events and
celebrations during the 1950s and 1960s. The annual exhibition of the National
Sweet Pea Society was held here in 1955 in conjunction with the annual Dover
Flower Show. The Park’s flowerbeds were often designed and planted to reflect
an event such as the twinning of the town with Split (in former Yugoslavia) in
1956 and the Teddy Bears Picnic in 1960. Mr E J T Taylor was the Park

Superintendent from 1932 (following the retirement of Mr Berry in 1931), until his
retirement in 1962, and had commenced the floral displays in 1932. These
displays often included carpet bedding of thousands of flowers, which he was
forced to stop in 1962 with the completion of the sea front gardens, as there was
then insufficient space in the Park’s greenhouses for growing the necessary
shrubs and flowers (Kent Messenger 18 May 1962).

During 1962/3, Dover Council purchased Connaught Park, paying £75 to The
Crown Estate Commissioners (on behalf of Her Majesty) and £4865 to Her
Majesty’s Principal Secretary of State for the War Department. Conditions of the
sale included covenants that “Not at any time to use the property ..... otherwise
than an open space for recreation of the public” and “At all times hereafter to
maintain and keep in repair the walls, hedges and fences on all sides of the
property hereby conveyed.” (Dover District Council legal documents)
Up to 1974, the Park was well kept and retained its popularity. Following the
Local Government Reorganisation in that year, with the creation of Dover District
Council (DDC), the levels of maintenance began to deteriorate. Flowerbeds were
replaced with plants requiring less attention, or became overgrown. The cafe only
opened occasionally and the tennis courts were neglected. The council proposed
that, as the Park was no longer used, it be changed into a tourist caravan park:
public objection forced the council to withdraw this proposal.

1983 saw the Dover Pageant reintroduced at the Park, and this event became
very popular, and was held on alternate years up to 2001 when it was moved to
Dover College. In the early 1990s, the condition of the Park improved. A Pageant
to mark the opening of the Channel Tunnel was held on 6 May 1994, and from
1990 onwards the Lions Club organised an annual Park’s fireworks display.

Following the closure of the nursery, the council declared, in 1991, that the lodge
was no longer needed and it was put up for sale. It was also decided that there
was no need for a refreshment kiosk, and the crazy golf course was dug over and
grassed. Following calls for action and a 1500 signature petition in 2002 to save
the Park from further neglect, to have more facilities provided and to have an
improvement to its upkeep, the council responded by installing five a side football
posts and picnic tables, with a mobile catering vehicle providing refreshments.
The pond was drained, cleaned, refilled and planted (Dover Mercury 11 April
2002).

In 2006, the council took the decision to close the aviary. The Park was used as
an open-air cinema in August of that year, with buses put on from the town
centre, the event proving very successful. To mark the Park’s 125th anniversary
in 2008, a holm oak was planted by the chairman of DDC, Cllr Bernard Butcher.
The tree was donated by the Dover Society and the surrounding protective
fence, by Jacksons Fencing. The council arranged for the pond to be drained,
cleaned and restored together with reinstatement of the water fountain. A
flagpole was erected near the main entrance to the Park to mark the 60th
wedding anniversary of Elizabeth II, the initiative being arranged by Graham
Wanstall, chairman of the Friends of Connaught Park (doverhistorian).
In about 2010, DDC called in Wicksteed Playscapes to refurbish the children’s
play area and the Friends of Connaught Park arranged for metal seats to be
installed along the top of the Park. The maintenance of the Park has again
deteriorated in the C21 due to lack of finance, but a voluntary group known as
Connaught Park Appreciation Group, have carried out a variety of improvements
including refurbishing benches, weeding, clearing flowerbeds and replanting,
clearing the pond and refurbishment of the Victorian shelter.

SITE DESCRIPTION

LOCATION, AREA, BOUNDARIES, LANDFORM, SETTING
Connaught Park lies on the chalk hills immediately to the north of the town of
Dover and adjacent to the western edge of Dover Castle Grounds. The 10ha (25
acres) triangular site is bordered along its southern boundary by Connaught
Road, by St Marys Cemetery to the north-west and by a tree belt with agricultural
land beyond, to the northeast. The cemetery and Connaught Road boundaries
have a 1.2m high galvanised metal railing fence, that along the Connaught Road
being located at the top of the steep bank to the road. The north-east boundary
consists of a simple wooden post and wire fence located behind the tree belt.
The originally steeply sloping ground to the south-west has been reshaped into a
series of terraces, with the upper (north-eastern) edge of the Park gently rising
from the west to the eastern entrance near the Castle. The upper levels of the
Park offer extensive views east to the Castle, and south to Western Heights,
Dover harbour and Dover town but these views are becoming more restricted by
tree growth within the Park.

ENTRANCES AND APPROACHES
Connaught Park has four entrances. The main entrance at the western end of the
Park, one of the original entrances created in 1883, lies at the junction of Park
Avenue, which provides the main access from the town, and Connaught Road.
This entrance is gated but is left open to provide vehicular access to the former
lodge, now (2017) in private ownership, and to the Park. A further 400m east
along Connaught Road lies a second entrance, again gated, which provided an
alternative entrance to the Park in 1883. This entrance consists of a locked
vehicular ornamental metal access gate alongside an unlocked pedestrian
matching ornamental gate. The gate posts to both sets of gates appear older
than the gates themselves; photographs taken mid C20 show wooden gates in
use (Dover Museum and Bronze Age Boat Gallery). At this entrance, midway
along Connaught Road, a curved bank which follows the path into the Park
contains the remnants of shrubs now overgrown and stunted by the lack of light
caused by the overhanging tree canopy.

The eastern park entrance, at the junction of Connaught Road with Castle Hill
Road, was formed when the Park was extended in 1884: it is of similar
construction to the entrance gate midway along Connaught Road.
A fourth entrance is provided at the car parking lay-by, created in 1934, on
Connaught Road approximately 300m east of the main entrance. A random brick
retaining wall supports the bank. A flight of steps leads from the lay-by up the
bank to a gated pedestrian access into the Park.

An OS map dated 1896 (Dover Library), shows that a further entrance existed
midway along the path adjacent to the northeastern boundary at its junction with
the secondary path from the lower terraces. The path though the tree belt is now
(2017) gone but two gate posts in the fence denote the former entrance.

PRINCIPAL BUILDINGS AND STRUCTURES
The principal building in the park is the lodge located adjacent to the main
entrance, built c1883 for the Park Superintendent. The building has been
extended but the original construction is a two storey structure comprised of
brick walls, with knapped flint infill, up to first floor level, with a tile clad first floor
and a tiled roof. A two storey brick extension has been added to the north side of
the property with a tiled roof. The property, together with its garden, with brick
and flint walls on two sides, is now in private ownership.

PARK GARDENS AND PLEASURE GROUNDS
The Park layout comprises of a series of terraces which have been created from
the sloping ground, together with three meandering tarmac paths which
principally traverse the site in a northwest to south-east direction. These paths
along the northern and southern boundaries and centrally through the Park, are
interconnected by shorter secondary paths.

The lowest terrace level is separated from the adjacent Connaught Road by a
belt of coniferous and deciduous trees on a bank which increases in height
towards the east, and divided off from the upper levels by a central tree belt. The
majority of the mature trees in these belts, and elsewhere in the Park, were
planted during the Park’s original construction in 1883 and 1884.

The lowest level terrace is divided into four distinct areas by the secondary paths.
The Park lodge and its garden, now in private ownership, is located at the
western end of the terrace adjacent to the main entrance. The boundary between
the lodge garden and the terrace is formed from euonymus shrubs which have
grown into a hedge which extends eastwards for approximately 200m along the
Connaught Road boundary. Facing the lodge on the opposite side of the terrace
is an aviary. DDC announced in 2007 that the aviary was to close, as a cost
saving measure, but it has been kept open by volunteers, with a dwindling
number of birds (doverhistorian).

The most western grassed area (approximately 80m by 40m ) of the lower
terrace has a lower and an upper level, which contains four circular flower beds
equally spaced alongside the central path. Photographs taken in 2009 show
cherry trees in all four beds, now (2016) only two remain. At the east end of this
section is a raised triangular area containing a stone bird bath within a larger
circular flower bed around which are three small triangular flower beds. Along its
northern edge beneath the tree belt is evidence of previous shrubbery planting,
which has not been maintained, and which is now overshadowed by the trees.
Benches are spaced along the edge of the former shrubbery.

The second grassed area moving eastwards (approximately 100m by 30m) is
surrounded by tree belts to the north and south and leads to the lake which is
centrally located within the Park. Photographs taken in 1933 of either the first or
second grassed area show flower beds alongside, to the south, of the central
path with masses of shrubs under the tree belt on the other side of the path. At
regular intervals, wooden rose pergolas spanned the path providing shade to the
seats under the pergolas. All this ornamental detail is (2017) now gone (Dover
Museum and Bronze Age Boat Gallery).

At the west end of the lake are the foundations of the refreshment kiosk which
closed in the early 1990s, alongside which stands a set of steps which lead up to
an upper terrace and a painted timber shelter probably erected early C20 (4th
edition OS map 1929-52). An arch formed from the jaw bones of a whale was
erected here at the end of C19 and demolished in 1967.

The lake, approximately 50m long by 20m wide, lies to the north of the third
grassed area (approximately 90m by 30m) of the lower terrace. The central path
forms the southern edge of the lake and a bank containing shrubs and bushes
and specimen trees such as beech creates the northern perimeter. The lake
contains some plants and a fountain (no longer working) sits centrally in the area.
This feature is reputed to have created sufficient waves that any small boats
always returned to their owner at the water’s edge. At the eastern end of the lake
is a stone drinking fountain (also no longer working), presented by Dr Astley in
the 1880s. On the opposite side of path to the drinking fountain, enclosed by
metal railings, is the holm oak presented by the Duchess of Connaught at the
Park’s official opening in 1884. Other specimen trees, such as copper beech,
have been planted in the third grassed area commemorating the various
anniversaries of the park opening, the majority being surrounded by railings.
Large aucuba shrubs are spaced in the grass alongside the southern boundary
path in both this and the second grassed area, with other shrubs, such as
euonymus, now forming a hedge under the boundary tree belt.

At the eastern end of the lake the path divides and the two branches run parallel
eastwards. The northern path, shaded by beech trees, at a higher level is set with
recesses in the bank along its length, denoting former bench locations. The bank
between the two paths, now grassed, is shown as a flower or shrub border in
early C20 postcards (Dover Library). Cobble stone walls have been built to
maintain the bank alongside the lower path, this detail being repeated at various
location around the Park. The two paths lead to the fourth grassed area
(approximately 50m by 30m), currently serving as a picnic area with picnic
benches and other seats. This area is surrounded by evergreen trees, such as
holm oak, conifer and holly. A large holm oak is located at the east end. The 4th
edition OS (1929-1952) indicates that this area was previously used as grass
tennis courts in the earlier part of C20.

Behind the aviary, on a higher terrace, lies the children’s playground renovated in
2010. The play area, approximately 50m by 25m, includes a large timber tree
house with a tube slide, representing Dover Castle, with a surrounding palisade
of vertical logs replicating its fortifications. A sandpit shaped like a teddy bear’s
head celebrates the Park’s famous teddy bears picnics of some 80 years ago.
This area has always been a children’s play area, initially providing children’s
swings in 1888 (Dover Express 2 March 1888)

Seven grass tennis courts lie to the east of the play area, formerly constructed as
eight courts in the early C20, although fewer courts were provided in C19 (OS
dated 1896 Dover Library). Due east of these courts is a flat grassed area,
approximately 90m by 35m, with five-a-side football posts which were installed in
2002. This area had previously been used as three grass tennis courts, originally
laid out in late C19 (OS map 2nd edition 1897-1900). Immediately north of the
five-a-side football pitch are two hard tennis courts first shown on the 2nd edition
OS. In the early C20, there were thus a total of fourteen tennis courts provided
at Connaught Park as a result of public demand and the popularity of tennis clubs
at that time. A painted timber shelter overlooks the various courts, erected about
mid C20 as it is first shown on 4th edition OS (1929-1952). To the west of the
hard courts, there used to be a flagpole erected in 1884, now removed.
One further terrace (approximately 100m by 40m) is to be found between the
children’s play area and the northern boundary, first shown on 4th edition OS
(1929-1952). This terrace is likely to have been created during the depression of
the 1930s when Dover council provided work for the unemployed. The remainder
of the Park to the east, above the lower level terraces, consists of sloping ground,
with clumps of trees, such as cherry, beech and sycamore, scattered through this
area, some of which originate from the late C19 (2nd edition OS). Postcards held
at the Dover Library show that these sloping grounds were fenced and used for
the grazing of sheep in the early C20. More recent plantings of individual trees
are to be found throughout the Park, such as cherry trees alongside the southern
end of the western boundary, some of which have been vandalised. Planting of
copper beech trees (in the late C20) has also been carried out on the upper
slopes. The tree planting which has survived at the eastern end of the Park is
mainly evergreen of Scots pine, holly and yew reflecting the choice of trees which
were planted when the Park was extended in 1884.

A wide vehicular path extends from the main entrance, up the slope between the
two toilet buildings to the Park’s Department maintenance depot which extends
along the remainder of the western boundary. Two toilets blocks have been
constructed approximately 50m north of the lodge, one either side of the main
path. Each building is a single storey white painted rendered structure,
approximately 6m square, with a tiled roof. The toilet blocks are likely to have
been constructed in the 1930s as they are not shown on the 3rd edition OS
(1907-1923).

The Park’s maintenance department area was previously the nursery for the Park
with glasshouses and other buildings but only a few single storey structures
remain. The 2nd edition OS indicates that at the end of the C19 the nursery was
located adjacent to the lodge but was subsequently supplemented along the
western boundary during the early part of the C20. The nursery was enlarged mid
C20 requiring the boundary path to be moved further east. At the northern end of
the former nursery the ground is now used for shredding compost from this and
other parks in the Dover area. The former nursery is screened from the park by a
two metre high fence and hedge alongside which is a path which climbs to the
perimeter path running along the northern boundary.

From the northern boundary path, there are extensive views over the valley to the
harbour, town and Western Heights. Old photographs show that Dover Castle
was also visible from this path before the trees obscured the view. The boundary
path extends the full length of the Park to the entrance gate adjacent to Castle
Hill Road, a distance of approximately 700m. A concrete plinth halfway along this
path survives where a shelter once stood, now gone. At the eastern end of the
Park, near the entrance, overgrown shrubs, such as cornus, survive from former
horticultural displays that welcomed visitors to the Park. North of this area there
used to be several short meandering paths now removed with the undergrowth
and trees masking a 4m high chalk cliff at the edge of the park which provided
interest along the former paths.

Scots Pine provide the northern boundary tree belt, behind which is a post and
wire boundary fence. Various evergreen shrubs have been planted under the
trees, now overgrown and requiring maintenance (2016), along with other selfsown
shrubs and bushes." (2)

<1> Not applicable, SMR Kent uncatalogued index entry, Kent Gardens Trust'Presentation of Parks'(survey of amenity parks 1996) (Miscellaneous Material). SKE6440.

<2> Kent Gardens Trust, 2017, The Kent Compendium of Historic Parks and Gardens for Dover: Connaught Park (Unpublished document). SKE51723.