Dover Castle

The 'Key to England'

Dover Castle is one of the largest in the country, playing a prominent part in national history. Its origins lie in the Iron age and its oldest surviving structure is the Roman Pharos. William the Conqueror strengthened existing fortifications in 1066, Henry II adding the Keep in the 1180s. Defences were enlarged and improved over the centuries including a series of major expansions and improvements in the Napoleonic era, and the castle and was used as a command centre during WW2. Stow and Beale Conservation Architects have been assisting English Heritage with various projects across the Dover Castle site, including:

• repairs to the Spur Caponier
• project management and coordination across the whole site
• new signage
• a feasibility study for the Secret Wartime Tunnels.

Spur Capoiner

In 2009-2010 Stow & Beale provided technical support to English Heritage in repairs to the Spur Caponier, a defensive structure constructed in brickwork in about 1800. The roof was failing and voids within the structure presented technical challenges as to the best method of stabilisation and repair. Working with structural engineers Hockley and Dawson, we gave technical advice to the English Heritage team throughout the contract to enable repair and renewal of the failing elements using appropriate materials and methodologies. [Project architect: Barry Stow.]

Site-wide Improvements

In 2009 Stow & Beale provided project management and coordination services for various projects at Dover Castle including a new visitor admissions building, temporary visitor facilities, a new ticketing system, traffic management plan, and conservation works to the Keep and Stone Hut. The number and scope of projects being carried out at the same time required a high level of control and coordination, and our involvement assisted English Heritage to deliver a series of complex projects in time for the re-opening of the Keep. [Project architect: Kate Sanders.]

Secret Wartime Tunnels

In 2009 Stow & Beale carried out a wide-ranging feasibility study into improvements to the 'Secret Wartime Tunnels', a system of tunnels, now over 1km long, originally cut into the chalk cliffs in 1793, brick lined in 1810, and extended during the second world war to form a combined HQ for admiralty, army and air-force, complete with an underground field-hospital. The tunnels were used for planning and directing 'Operation Dynamo' - the evacuation of the British Expiditionary Force from Dunkirk in 1941 - and later for the invasion of Europe in 1944. Such was secrecy, those working in the tunnels did not know of their extent, access was allowed on a need-to-be-there room-by-room basis. During the Cold War, the tunnels were upgraded and re-used as a Regional Centre of Government, before being 'de-secretized' and handed to English Heritage in 1995. They are now a major visitor attraction at Dover Castle, and are to be represented as part of a regeneration programme aimed to make seaside towns thrive through improvements to heritage and tourism. [Project architect: Marcus Beale.]

Further information and project photos will be posted here from time to time.

Client: English Heritage
Architect: Stow and Beale Conservation Architects LLP: Barry Stow, Marcus Beale, Kate Sanders

External Links:

English Heritage: Dover Castle: Visiting times: here

Dover Castle
The Spur Caponier at Dover: before conservation 2009.
After Conservation 2010.

The Secret Wartime Tunnels 2009.