TR 34 SW 31 - Church of the Knights Templar - Historic Environment Record

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Monument record TR 34 SW 31 - Church of the Knights Templar

Summary

The foundations of a possible Knights Templar church on the Western Heights, Dover. The port of Dover, the main departure point for pilgrimages to the Holy Land, would have been an obvious place for the Templar order to have had a property, but they are believed to have left the town before 1185 and moved to Temple Ewell. The 12th century church has a circular nave, 10 metres in diameter, and an oblong chancel. This unusual form mirrors that of the church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, and led to the suggestions that it was constructed by the Knights Templar. Alternatively the building may have been a wayside shrine on the Dover to Folkestone road. It was built of flint rubble with ashlar facing. The buried foundations were discovered in 1854 during the construction of the Western Heights military defences. The site is in the care of English Heritage.

Location

Grid reference	TR 3128 4071 (point) FCE
Map sheet	TR34SW
County	KENT
District	DOVER, KENT
Civil Parish	DOVER, DOVER, KENT

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Type and Period (1)

CHURCH (CHURCH, Medieval - 1066 AD to 1539 AD)

Full Description

<1> OS 25" 1957 (OS Card Reference). SKE48272.

<2> Md Rel Houses Eng and Wales 1953 235 (Knowles and Hadcock) (OS Card Reference). SKE46689.

<3> Arch Cant 11 1877 45-6 (plan) (OS Card Reference). SKE34650.

<4> Arch J 13 1856 85 (W.Clayton) (OS Card Reference). SKE36575.

<5> Arch J 86 1930 40 (REM Wheeler) (OS Card Reference). SKE36744.

<6> AM Eng and Wales 1961 59 (OS Card Reference). SKE33015.

<7> F1 ASP 22-MAY-64 (OS Card Reference). SKE42239.

<8> Md Rel Houses Eng and Wales 1971 293 (D Knowles and R N Hadcock) (OS Card Reference). SKE46694.

<9> Bygone Kent 1892 85 (R Stead) (OS Card Reference). SKE38447.

<10> Field report for monument TR 34 SW 31 - May, 1964 (Bibliographic reference). SKE5979.

<11> CAT Annual Report, 1994-5. (OS Card Reference). SKE38716.

<11> Not applicable, SMR Kent uncatalogued index entry, CAT annual report, 1994-5. (Miscellaneous Material). SKE6440.

<12> Historic England, National Heritage List for England (Index). SKE29372.

<13> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 2014, Report on an archaeological watching brief Dover Western Heights Scheduled Ancient Monument (No. 1020298) (Unpublished document). SKE31575.

<14> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 2008, Dover Western Heights, Water Upgrade, 2007-8, Watching-brief Report (Unpublished document). SKE16844.

<15> Canterbury Archaeological Trust, 1990, Dover Western Heights: Grand Shaft Barracks: An Interim Archaeological Assessment Preparatory to Evaluation (Unpublished document). SKE6727.

<16> Historic England, Archive material associated with Knights Templar Church, Dover, Scheduled Monument (Archive). SKE55365.

Sources/Archives (17)

<1> SKE48272 OS Card Reference: OS 25" 1957.
<2> SKE46689 OS Card Reference: Md Rel Houses Eng and Wales 1953 235 (Knowles and Hadcock).
<3> SKE34650 OS Card Reference: Arch Cant 11 1877 45-6 (plan).
<4> SKE36575 OS Card Reference: Arch J 13 1856 85 (W.Clayton).
<5> SKE36744 OS Card Reference: Arch J 86 1930 40 (REM Wheeler).
<6> SKE33015 OS Card Reference: AM Eng and Wales 1961 59.
<7> SKE42239 OS Card Reference: F1 ASP 22-MAY-64.
<8> SKE46694 OS Card Reference: Md Rel Houses Eng and Wales 1971 293 (D Knowles and R N Hadcock).
<9> SKE38447 OS Card Reference: Bygone Kent 1892 85 (R Stead).
<10> SKE5979 Bibliographic reference: Field report for monument TR 34 SW 31 - May, 1964.
<11> SKE38716 OS Card Reference: CAT Annual Report, 1994-5..
<11> SKE6440 Miscellaneous Material: Not applicable. SMR Kent uncatalogued index entry. CAT annual report, 1994-5..
<12> SKE29372 Index: Historic England. National Heritage List for England.
<13> SKE31575 Unpublished document: Canterbury Archaeological Trust. 2014. Report on an archaeological watching brief Dover Western Heights Scheduled Ancient Monument (No. 1020298).
<14> SKE16844 Unpublished document: Canterbury Archaeological Trust. 2008. Dover Western Heights, Water Upgrade, 2007-8, Watching-brief Report.
<15> SKE6727 Unpublished document: Canterbury Archaeological Trust. 1990. Dover Western Heights: Grand Shaft Barracks: An Interim Archaeological Assessment Preparatory to Evaluation.
<16> SKE55365 Archive: Historic England. Archive material associated with Knights Templar Church, Dover, Scheduled Monument.

Finds (0)

Protected Status/Designation

Scheduled Monument 1020298: FORTIFICATIONS, ROMAN LIGHTHOUSE AND MEDIEVAL CHAPEL ON WESTERN HEIGHTS

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Events/Activities (6)

Event Boundary: Archaeological Watching Brief Report Western Heights, Dover, Kent, Scheduled Ancient Monument (Ref: Report no. 2014/135) (EKE15010)
Intrusive Event: Archaeological Watching Brief Report Western Heights,Site 1 Junction of Western Close and Citadel Road, adjacent to the Medieval chapel (Ref: Report no. 2014/135) (EKE16806)
Intrusive Event: Rxcavation, WESTERN HEIGHTS, 1854 (Ref: EI 15042) (EKE4716)
Intrusive Event: Watching Brief at Dover Western Heights fortifications (Ref: EI 36145) (EKE4473)
Event Boundary: Watching brief on the Dover Western Heights Water Upgrade, 2007-8 (Ref: WHWD-WB-07) (EKE11100)
Intrusive Event: Watching brief on the Dover Western Heights Water Upgrade, 2007-8 Area 3 - Western Close (Ref: WHWD-WB-07) (EKE16468)

Record last edited

Mar 16 2023 5:09PM