Dover; Moats Bulwark

Has been described as a Certain Artillery Fort

There are uncertain remains

NameDover; Moats Bulwark
Alternative NamesMoates; bulwark under Dover Castle; the bulwark subtus castrum Doveri
Historic CountryKent
Modern AuthorityKent
1974 AuthorityKent
Civil ParishDover

In around 1540 Henry VIII built three artillery fortifications at Dover to protect the newly constructed harbour. One of these, Moats's Bulwark, was situated at the foot of the cliff beneath Dover Castle, and provided additional protection to its southern flank. The battery was probably completed in around March 1939. A C16 plan depicts it as a timber revetted platform approached by tunnels in the cliff, although it was remodelled as a large semi-circular battery in around 1750, and in 1856 linked with the castle by a spiral stairway tunnelled into the cliff.

This is a pictorial representation of a cannon on a cliff, almost certainly at Dover, dating from around 1541. The drawing shows a gun platform with six cannons, titled 'The Bulwerck under the Castell Dyke'. The platform is more elaborate than other bulwarks, with gun ports for heavy armament. Behind the platform is a long timber building in an advanced state of decay which was probably a store house. The construction of a harbour under the Western Heights in around 1500 meant that Dover Castle was too far away to provide sufficient protection for the expanding town and port and so an additional program of defence became necessary. This was one of several bulwarks constructed between March 1539 and midsummer 1540 that controlled landing in the harbour and the shallow bay opposite the town. They were made of earth revetted with timber, provided by the harbour works. The reason for these additional defences was Henry VIII's fear of an invasion from the combined forces of France and Spain as in 1538 Francis I of France, and Charles V Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain signed a peace treaty. France was England's historical enemy and Henry VIII's divorce of Catherine of Aragon, Charles V's aunt, had offended the militantly catholic King of Spain. (British Library)

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law

Not Listed

Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceTR325415
Latitude51.1257705688477
Longitude1.3217099905014
Eastings632530
Northings141520
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Harrington, Peter, 2007, The Castles of Henry VIII (Oxford: Osprey) p. 12, 38
  • Salter, Mike, 2000, The Castles of Kent (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 57
  • Coed, Jonathan, 1995, Dover Castle (London: Batsford)
  • Bennett, D., 1977, A handbook of Kent's defences from 1540 until 1945 p. 17-30

Antiquarian

Journals

  • Coad, J.G., and Lewis, P.N., 1982, 'The later fortifications of Dover' Post-Medieval Archaeology Vol. 16 p. 141-208
  • Brown, R.Allen, 1970, 'Dover Castle' The Archaeological Journal Vol. 126 p. 210

Guide Books

  • Brown, R.Allen. 1985 4edn, Dover Castle, Kent (English Heritage) p. 43-44
  • Brown, R.Allen. 1966, Dover Castle, Kent (HMSO) p. 42

Primary Sources

  • c. 1541, The Bulwerck under the Castell Dyke (picture) online copy
  • Gairdner, J. and Brodie, R.H. (eds), 1896, Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, Henry VIII Vol. 15 p. 131 no. 323 online copy
  • Gairdner, J. and Brodie, R.H. (eds), 1898, Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, Henry VIII Vol. 16 p. 223-4 no. 456 online copy