Dover College - The Gatehouse (click for a larger image)
A lovely painting of The Priory Gatehouse by Dick Bates will be auctioned at the Old Dovorian Party on 14th January 2010, the proceeds of which will go to The Old Dovorian Trust. There will also be 50 numbered prints available (information to follow), the proceeds of which will also go to The Old Dovorian Trust.
We in College have always been fortunate that our foundation placed us in the extraordinary and beautiful setting of the medieval Dover Priory. The oldest buildings of the Priory that are existing are still in use today. The Refectory, built in 1132 (and possibly designed specifically to house the Bayeux Tapestry) is currently used as the school Refectory, and the old Guest House, also dating from the 1130s, has been the College Chapel since shortly after the foundation of the school. The Priory Gatehouse (1300s) is also still in use as part of the Drama department.
The origins of Dover Priory lie in the early seventh century when a community of secular teaching canons was set up in Dover Castle by King Eadbald of Kent (616-640). Towards the end of the seventh century, King Wihtred of Kent fulfilled a vow to St. Martin by building a church dedicated to him in part of the area of Dover now occupied by the Market Square. He transferred the secular teaching canons there from the Castle and they took their rights and privileges with them.
By the early twelfth century the canons of St. Martin’s seem to have become vulnerable to criticism. The then Archbishop of Canterbury, Corbeil, wanted to extend his influence to Dover and, in 1130, using the behaviour of the Dover canons as a pretext, he persuaded Henry I to give him a charter that allowed him to build a Priory in Dover that would take over the assets of the existing church of St. Martin, while leaving it to be used as a parish church by the people of the town. Corbeil secured a site – our site – and began building there in 1131 on land that probably belonged to the former canons of St. Martin’s. The buildings were partially occupied by 1136 and twelve “canons regular” were installed there. King Stephen was said to have died at Dover Priory in 1154 thus bringing to an end the Norman succession of which the Bayeaux Tapestry is such a potent symbol.
