The development of Dover through time

1. The development of Dover through time Key Issue- changes to Dover and difficulties posed STARTER- what can you remember about this physical remain at Dover? EXTENSION: explain what changes occurred in the 13th century and why?

2. Key words/concepts Iron age hill fort: A hill fort is a type of earthworks used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage Anglo Saxon Burh:Old English fortification or fortified settlement. In the 9th century, raids and invasions by Vikings prompted Alfred the Great to develop a network ofburhs and roads to use against such attackers.

3. How has Dover changed overtime? Recap in your own words • Early Iron Age Hill Top • Anglo- Saxon Burgh • Motte and Bailey Castle • Stone Keep • Concentric castle Why did it undergo changes? What were the difficulties and turning points?

4. History of Dover • The History of Dover, because of the town's proximity to the Continent begins when Stone Age people crossed what was then a land bridge, before the opening up of the English Channel. Since then, successive invasions of peoples have taken place. Archaeological finds have revealed a great deal, particularly about cross channel trade and the attempts of those various inhabitants to build large-scale defences against European invaders on this part of the English coast.

5. Copy and complete using specific facts Dover- key changes overtime Earliest inhabitants Roman Dover Middle Ages 16th-18th centuries More recently

6. Earliest inhabitants • The first known inhabitants of Dover's River Dour valley were late Stone Age farmers who crossed to Dover by boat with corn seed and domesticated animals about 6,000 years ago. • Britain's earliest known shipwreck (dating to about 1100BC) occurred off Dover in the Bronze Age, littering the seabed with over 350 bronze tools, weapons and scrap metal. Over 45 Bronze Age sites, mainly burials, have been found locally, but very little evidence of Iron Age settlements has yet been discovered. • In 1992, during major road works through the town centre, a large wooden boat dating from the Bronze Age was discovered in a deep waterlogged hole

7. Roman Dover • Roman Dover, or ‘’Portus Dubris’’ as it was called, was one of the three ports used for trade and the movement of the army. • The Romans, for whom the port was a base for their navy, the ‘’Classis Britannica’’, constructed breakwaters against the sea‘s depredations, and added two lighthouses on the heights either side of the estuary. It is possible that they also constructed a fort on what is now the site of Dover Castle to protect the port. • Dover became one of the three important towns in Kent. • The story of Dover Castle may well have begun during the Anglo-Saxon period. By the time of the Viking Danish invasions of Kent in 850, Dover was a principal town and Dover Prioryhad been established in the early 7th century. • In about 1050 five ports on the south coast of Britain joined together to form the Cinque Ports, in order to provide ships and men for the king on fifteen days a year: Dover being one of them.

8. Middle Ages • Twenty years after the Norman conquest of England, in 1086, the Domesday Book was compiled. The entry for Doverin the Kent section of the Book came first, before all other entries; there were also two entries specifically to the lands held by the Canons of Dover Priory. The value of Dover was put at £40; its value in the time of Edward the Confessor could not be established, since Dover had been burnt at the time of the Conquest.  • Soon after 1066, William appointed a Governor (also known as the Constable) of Dover Castle. • A great deal of Saxon Dover was rebuilt. By 1190 the new Dover Castle was complete, and maritime trade was increasing, even though the port itself was small and remained so for some centuries. In the 13th century, Dover withstood two attacks. The first, in 1216, involved the siege of Dover Castle by Prince Louis of France and was almost successful; in 1295 a French raiding party overran the town and set most of the town ablaze.

9. 16th-18th centuries • During the Tudor dynasty, continental invasion still threatened. During the reign of Henry VIII improvements were made to Dover's defences, both to the castle and the Moat Bulwark; the king making a personal visit to supervise the work. Further improvements were carried out under Elizabeth I • The Dover Straits earthquake of 1580, possibly the largest ever recorded in England, caused a great deal of devastation. • During the Civil War (1642–1651) Dover declared for the king but was captured by the Parliamentarians without a siege in 1648.  • During the Napoleonic Wars Dover became a garrison town heavily defended against the threat of French invasion. Napoleon's troops, gathered at Boulogne, could be seen from Dover on a clear day.

10. More recently • Dover's twentieth century history was dominated by the First and Second World War and was also affected in the 1950s-80s by the subsequent Cold War. • The First World War lasted from 1914-1918. During this period, Dover was one of the most important military centres in Britain. Vast amounts of men crossed from Dover on their way to the battlefields of Northern France. • In the Second World War, the town of Dover played a vital role. •  The Dunkirk Evacuations of May 1940 were masterminded by Vice Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay from his headquarters in Dover's Secret Wartime Tunnels beneath the castle. Over 200,000 of the 338,000 men evacuated from Dunkirk passed through Dover, filling the town and railway station with soldiers, sailors and airmen. • After the Second World War, as the rival Eastern and Western powers hurtled towards Cold War, Dover’s Secret Tunnels were made an emergency Regional Centre of Government in the event of a nuclear attack • Nowadays- owned by English heritage and a popular tourist site

11. Your task • Study the card sort and make a list of reasons why Dover Castle was built where it is. (order of importance) • Think of other castles in Britain, e.g. Tower of London, Rochester etc. Why did the architects choose to site them where they are? • Top tip: set your ideas out as a spider diagram.

12. Source evidence (spend at least 30 mins analysing sources- what do they show about why there is a castle at Dover?) Nature- type of source Origin- where it came from and who Purpose- why it was created

14. Your task (15 mins) • Develop your notes (in your book), by finding specific examples from the sources on ‘why is there a castle at Dover’ e.g. • Proximity to France: overlooks shortest, most convenient route to France; Dover is only 22miles or 39 km from France; even in the Middle Ages ships could reach Dover within a few hours; earlier occupiers recognised geographical importance - settlements date back to Iron Age (refer to specific sources in your developed piece of writing in your books)

15. Reasons why a castle was built at Dover • Proximity to France • Close to Dover harbour • Previous buildings on the site • Strategic value - difficult to besiege • Other castles nearby – mutual defence • Useful residence for the King on the way to London • Symbolic importance – gateway to England • Can you identify which are the most important reasons? • Can you see links between the reasons?

16. Plenary • Why has the site of Dover changed overtime? • What were the main difficulties and challenges facing the site? • What period of time do you think saw the most significant changes and why?