South Pier can be traced back to the sixteenth century; early post medieval mapping notes the presence of a pier between Dover’s main harbour and the open sea in the same approximate location of Dover’s modern 'South Pier'. The earliest definite representation of this pier is on Thomas Digges plan dating to 1588 (1). It is also clearly shown on a slightly later plan also by Digges which dates to 1595; on this the entire harbour has been drawn in precise detail and everything is numbered with a key. (2) This pier is a continuation of Clerks pier which stretches from Archcliffe Fort around the north and north-eastern side of the 'Paradise Pent' (now infilled). Work on the continuation of this pier started in the mid-16th century after 1530 when 'Clerks Pier was badly damaged by a gale and one of his towers had been carried away'. John Thompson, who was Rector of St James's Church was appointed chief surveyor after submitting plans to King Henry VIII for major improvements to the harbour and harbours defences. (3) The essence of Thompsons plan was an improvement of the existing paradise (Paradise Pent), protecting the remains of Clerk's works by a vast pier running eastwards from near Archcliffe. The plan was highly approved of by the king who advanced £500 to begin the work which was commenced in 1533. (4) Thompsons improvements to the harbour are represented in a plan of the harbour dating to 1532. On this the north pier can be seen stretching out to sea from Clerks tower down to the bottom of the picture. (5) This depiction however did not come to fruition under Thompsons guidance; after the kings death in 1547 the new harbour works were left in an unfinished state. (6) In 1580 work on the harbour was re-started, it incorporated the previous work planned and part finished by Thompson and resulted in the construction of the Great Pent and associated walls, the outer harbour and its associated walls and piers which included the North Pier. (2) William Eldred's plans of Dover harbour dating to 1631 (7) and 1641 (8) gives a detailed view of the south pier at this time which remains relatively unchanged from Digges above discussed depiction.


Further historic cartographic sources which depict the former location and extent of the 'South Pier' include that by John Symonds dating to 1583-1584 (9), Foquet dating to 1737 (10), Hogben dating to 1769 (11)

The pier is thought to have largely survived, with necessary repairs, until 1827 when the harbour commissioners ordered James Moon, harbour master and resident engineer, to rebuild the South Pier as well as the North Pier. The South Pier was then subsequently rebuilt to accommodate plans for new culverts introduced by Thomas Telford in 1833-1834. The Train Ferry Dock was constructed between 1933 and 1936. A concrete train ferry jetty was also part of the scheme, extending from the dock and reaching a further 362ft. This jetty was initially known as the train ferry jetty but is now known as Dunkirk jetty, because the service ran to Dunkirk. The introduction of the Channel Tunnel in 1994 meant these services were considered to be redundant. The site of the original Train Ferry Dock was converted into an aggregates yard.[12]

Taken From Source: 'The Train Ferry Dock consists of a typical stepped inside face and vertical outside face mass block wall constructed on the chalk bed, this formed part of the working dock area. The dock has subsequently been infilled and the site is in use by a third party. When the site was infilled the dock gates were left raised in situ. The Dunkirk Jetty consists of 16 mass concrete piers of steel sheet pile caisson construction. The piles were driven into the dredged seabed and tied at two levels. The caissons were then filled with mass concrete and mass concrete cells cast above. These cells in-turn support a reinforced concrete deck with in-situ edge beams on either side, forming 15 link bridges between supports. At the landward end of the structure, Pier 1 was constructed with three tied caissons whilst all other piers were formed with one. [12]

South pier visible on the Ordnance Survey First edition [13]. By the time the fourth edition had been surveyed the extension and train ferry dock has been added (14). It was still visible on MasterMap dating to 2009 [4]. The area was given a monument polygon during historic mapping enhancement as part of Phase 1 of the South East Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey.

Train ferry jetty visible on the Ordnance Survey Fourth edition [14]. The area was given a monument polygon during historic mapping enhancement as part of Phase 1 of the South East Rapid Coastal Zone Assessment Survey.

The impacts of the Western Dock Revival Scheme on South Pier, Train Ferry dock and Dunkirk Jetty are discussed (15-16)

Listing Decision notice for the South Pier and Dunkirk Jetty; both remain un-listed. (17)

<1> Thomas Digges, 1588, Plan of Work at Dover Harbour (Map). SKE31986.

<2> Thomas Digges, 1595, The state of Dover Haven with the New workes (Map). SKE31987.

<3> Alec Macdonald, 1937, Archaeologia Cantiana: Plans of Dover Harbour in the Sixteenth Century Vol. 49 (Article in serial). SKE31789.

<4> William Van Mildert, 1828, A Short Historical sketch of the Town of Dover and its Neighbourhood. (Monograph). SKE32004.

<5> John Thompson, 1532, A platt of the Works done (Map). SKE31975.

<6> W. Batcheller, 1828, A New History of Dover and of Dover Castle (Monograph). SKE32012.

<7> William Eldred (?), 1631, Plan of lands belonging to the Priory and now to Master Buffkyn (Map). SKE31988.

<8> William Eldred, 1641, The Platt of Dover Castle Towne and Harbor (Map). SKE31804.

<9> John Symonds, 1583-1584, Dover Harbour (Map). SKE32347.

<10> J. Foquet, 1737, Plan of the town, harbour and fortifications of Dover (Map). SKE31991.

<11> Thomas and Henry Hogben, 1769, The topography and Mensuration of Dover Pier, Harbour, Houses and Lands from DHB (Map). SKE31992.

<12> Dover Harbour Board, 2016, Heritage Recording at Train Ferry Dock and Dunkirk Jetty: desktop study (Unpublished document). SKE31816.

<13> Landmark, Ordnance Survey 1:2,500 map (OS 1st edition 1862-1875): Landmark Epoch 1 (Map). SKE30964.

<14> Landmark, Ordnance Survey 1:2,500 map (OS 4th Edition, 1929-1952): Landmark Epoch 4 (Map). SKE30967.

<15> Maritime Archaeology, 2008, Dover Terminal 2 -EIA: Historic environmental assessment report (Unpublished document). SKE29382.

<16> Maritime Archaeology, 2008, Dover Terminal 2 EIA: Historic Environment Baseline Report Volume 1 (Unpublished document). SKE31717.

<17> English Heritage, 2009, Listing Decision Notices, Granville Dock, Hoverport, North Pier, South Pier and Dunkirk Jetty (Unpublished document). SKE32052.