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over Priory, not the railway station that the small settlement of was Dbut the Priory founded in Dover growing in importance through its nearly nine hundred years ago and strategic position close to the continent, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary and and decided to fulfil a vow he had made to St Martin. There is very little of the Priory St Martin and build a church in the centre to see now but glimpses of flint walls and of the town. The Castle canons were a few remaining structures amongst the established in the new building. This school buildings are enough to make you became known as St Martin the Less when wonder about its history, what it was like at the time of the Conquest, more than originally, how it came into being and three hundred years later, it was replaced eventually became the Dover College it is by a much larger building then called St today? Martin le Grand. This served as a monastic foundation until in 1130 Martin was born early in the 4th century Archbishop Corbeil of Canterbury, using in that part of Europe which is now the unseemly behaviour of the canons of Hungary. He was brought up in the Dover as an excuse, persuaded Henry I to Christian faith and as a young man he allow him a charter to build a Priory in joined the Roman army. One day whilst Dover by using the assets, including its on duty in France he saw a beggar by the lands, of the existing church of St Martin. roadside who was freezing and starving. Innocent II confirmed the grant and Martin had little money himself but was the site chosen was just outside the centre moved by the man's plight so tore his own of the town. In 1131 the new Priory cloak in two and gave half to the beggar. building began. It was dedicated to the That night in a dream Martin saw Christ Blessed Virgin Mary and St Martin. By clothed as the beggar in the torn cloak. 1136 the work under Corbeil's leadership This he took as a sign to follow the was so well advanced that some of the Christian way of life more purposefully. buildings were ready for occupation. But He spent his next years preaching in Italy King Henry had died in 1135 and in and Gaul and was so favoured by his December of that year Archbishop Corbeil superiors that he was given land near also died. All did not go well. The Tburs in France to found a hermitage. For Canterbury monks were anxious to take his exemplary way of life here he was the new Priory under their jurisdiction eventually created a bishop in 372. while the Dover Priory monks argued that Honoured throughout France and known they were answerable only to the as St Martin of Tburs he became one of the Archbishop. However now that Corbeil country's Patron Saints. His fame spread was no longer there to take their side and around Europe and into England and by there was currently no incumbent the 7th century the Canons of the Saxon Archbishop, the Prior at Canterbury took church in transferred its control and the Dover canons were cast dedication to Saint Martin of Tburs. In adrift and replaced by twelve newly about 696 Wihtred, a king of Kent, saw selected monks. This was completely 29

against Henry's original Charter but the existence. The church, the most important new King Stephen was so preoccupied building, was an imposing edifice some with the many problems of his succession 300 feet in length. It could perhaps be and his battle with Matilda, the other compared in size to the present day contender for the throne, that when his and some eight times consent was sought it was easily given. larger than the still existing . Still The main buildings of the Priory were standing in the sixteenth century the completed by about 1140 under the new church was described in a letter to Archbishop Theobald's leadership and Cromwell as 'the fairest one in that eventually dedicated in 1160 with quarter of Kent'. Through excavations Canterbury Prior Richard at its head. carried out in 19th and 20th centuries it is Richard later succeeded Theobald as possible to describe how the site was laid Archbishop. In 1154 King Stephen had out. There were cloisters, a Chapter died suddenly in the Priory whilst visiting House, all the usual buildings for storage overnight. He was buried in Faversham including the large twelfth century barn . and the important Refectory, Guestern House and Gatehouse. Ib this day all The old Church of St Martin le Grand these three latter buildings remain much remained the parish church of Dover but as they were built. The Refectory is still was under the control of the new St used as the dining room for the School, the Martin's Priory, by now known as the Guest house has been converted into the 'Newark'. But still things did not go easily. Chapel and rooms in the Gatehouse are Some of the buildings were damaged by a used as classrooms. fire in 1201 but repaired and some new domestic buildings added later in 1231. In The area occupied by the Priory, with its 1295 it was pillaged and partly burnt by grounds including fishponds and buildings French invaders. At this time a story was occupied some 15 acres. The northern told of a monk, Thomas de la Hale, who boundary extended to what is now Priory was tortured to reveal where the Priory Hill, the western boundary overlapped the treasure was hidden. He refused to give current Priory Gate Road and up to the car the information and was hacked to death park area of Dover railway station. The by his captors. Afterwards some attempted southern boundary was edged by the to make him a saint for his bravery but in spite of his being martyred and miracle cures happening to those worshipping at his graveside in the Priory church, it was not thought appropriate as there was already a Saint Thomas (Becket) who had been canonised inll73.

By the late 12th century all of the main buildings of the Priory were in Priory Meadows Pond 7 858 30

Folkestone Road which was earlier known Stone from Oxeney was appointed the as St Martin's Hill. The eastern side of the new Prior of Dover by the Archbishop of site corresponded to present day Priory Canterbury. Road. The apse of the great Priory Church, the , the infirmary and the Nearly two hundred years had then convent garden extended into the land elapsed since the foundation of the Priory now occupied by Effingham Street, of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Martin Norman Street and Saxon Street. Some of in Dover but from then on and for nearly the flint walls and the end wall of the two hundred years more it was completely Refectory can be seen on one side of subjugated, suffered financially and Effingham Street. One of the important became increasingly obscure. But through features of the Refectory was its large the centuries kings and other important depiction of the Last Supper on the east people of their day stopped to worship at wall. It was painted there when the the Priory or stay at the Maison Dieu building was first completed. It portrayed nearby as they travelled from France en fourteen characters. Christ is in the centre route for Becket's shrine in Canterbury. In surrounded by his twelve disciples and the beginning, however, under the new one other who has not been identified. Priors, literary, historical and other The fresco in its day must have been academic pursuits flourished and there highly decorated with bright colours and were other achievements. The Priory had gold leaf. After years of abuse of the built up what must have been an building as a barn even in recent years extensive library. Using a new method of shadowy forms of Christ and his disciples specially constructed shelving some with their golden haloes could still be thousands of books were stored. The seen. Some restoration work was poorly books were kept in a methodical way that carried out and now the whole scene is meant that they could be retrieved more almost impossible to see but indentations, easily when required. The musical where perhaps jewels where inserted, and activities of the Priory were also of some tiny traces of colour still show some account. Thomas Tkllis, who later became evidence of the Saints' haloes. the most important composer of the Ttidor period, at the age of twenty six was Throughout the years there were appointed organ master in St Martin's continual disputes between the Dover Priory. He stayed froml 531 until religious Priory Canons and the Canterbury monks life there came to an end. who were only too keen to have control of the Dover Priory itself and get their hands on the quite considerable income from the lands belonging to St Martin’s. The battle continued with interferences from archbishops, kings and even the Pope. And in July 1356 Walter de Chartham was the last Prior of Dover to be appointed by the Dover canons themselves, "by special grace of the Archbishop". Canterbury had won the day and in January 1366 James de St. James' Old Church 31

In 1538 Henry VIII dissolved all the demolished. This area was used to make monasteries. At this time the Priory's Priory Gate Road and the railway station books where dispersed and mostly lost but yard. At the beginning of the nineteenth about forty of the volumes are known to century John Coleman became the tenant have survived and a few found their way of the Priory grounds and the Coleman into other libraries. One, the tenth century family continued to rent the property until Irish Psalter, has come to rest in St John's in 1869 they leased part of the grounds College in Cambridge. After the with some of their remaining medieval Dissolution the Priory had become for the and damaged buildings to Robert Chignell. town's people a source of building He had already established a private materials, stone and lead, and other useful school at 'Westmount' in the Folkestone household goods. They took away those Road and needed larger premises. Mr things which were most easily transported Chignell made use of the remaining and left little worthwhile behind. For the monastic structures to build his new most part the site was devastated. public school. Dover College opened in 1870. The old Guestern house was not First of all most of the ground occupied by acquired until 1879 and was then modified the Priory and together with about 350 a little to form the fine new College acres of land belonging to the Priory were Chapel. The Refectory, which in the leased to a local merchant. At the same previous farming tenants' hands had been time another 100 acres were leased to a used as a storage barn, was thoroughly William Woodrow but it is difficult to trace renovated and once again served its the lessees of the Priory lands during the original purpose as the dining hall. The remainder of the sixteenth century as the modified Gatehouse came into use as records were not well kept and the leasing classrooms. passed through many hands throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Subsequently the whole property of the In 1840 the south-eastern parts of the Priory at Dover was made over by the enclosed site were let to a builder, Mr Ecclesiastical Commissioners to the Parker Ayres, and in 1868 the western College Trustees. Many buildings for portion was leased to Mr Steriker Finnis. educational and recreational use have He drained the one time fish ponds and been added during the intervening about this time the fine medieval barn in years. the south-west corner of the site was But the grandeur of the Refectory, the Guestern house, now the impressive College Chapel, the Gate house and together with some still standing strong flint walls are evidence of what must have been for many centuries a most imposing structure in Dover. The Dover Society in recent times has been privileged to be able to use the Refectory in which to celebrate its Christmas feasting as others have done before throughout nearly nine St. James' Old Church hundred years.