Constable's Gate and Queen Mary's Tower, Dover Castle, UK

Constable's Gate (alt. Constable's Tower) is partially obscured by the d-type Queen Mary's Tower (the curved structure right of center with truncated triangular base) that stands 20 yards nearer to the viewer than the gateway itself.

Contents

1) Main photo of Constable's Gate and Queen Mary's Tower

2) Victorian print of Constable's Gate seen from the other side.

3) Similar view as the Victorian print but taken in 2011.

Dover Castle is owned by English Heritage and is a scheduled Ancient Monument; it contains structures such as the Roman Pharos that are Listed Buildings in their own right.


1) Main photo of Constable's Gate and Queen Mary's Tower

The Western Outer Curtain Wall comes in from the right of the photograph to Queen Mary's Tower, and then continues on to Constable's Gate on its far side.

Any view of Queen Mary's Tower is relatively rare because it stands within the walled garden of the gateway, the traditional home of the Deputy Constable of Dover Castle.

This view is even "rarer" than most because it is a zoomed shot of about 1500 yards taken from the New Marina Pier in Dover harbour that until recently did not exist - and, of course, because it was taken during a permitted Coronavirus Lockdown bike ride.

Constable's Gateway is today's pedestrian entrance into Dover Castle via the drawbridge on the left.

The castle itself is what Matthew Paris, a Benedictine monk and English chronicler, once famously described as the Lock and Key to the Kingdom of England.

Constable's Tower was built by John de Fiennes under William the Conqueror and for this reason was once known as Fiennes' Tower.

In 1216, during the Great Siege of Dover Castle in the First Barons' War against King John, the Dauphin (Prince Louis, later Louis VIII of France, son and heir apparent of Philip Augustus) unsuccessfully besieged Dover Castle.

The importance of Dover Castle to the Dauphin's campaign is reflected in this excerpt from "The antiquities of England and Wales" (by Francis Grose, published 1784):

When Lewis the Dauphin of France came hither, at the instigation of the pope, and by the invitation of the barons, and had made himself master of most of the castles in the southern counties, his father, hearing that he had not got possession of Dover Castle, swore by St. James's arm, he had not gained a foot of land in England.

Despite the failure to take Dover Castle, Prince Louis' miners so damaged the Northern Entrance (North Gate) that it had to be closed and sealed.

In the 1220s, Hubert de Burgh then rebuilt Constable's Tower as an alternative entry point which probably led to it being called by its other name of Newgate Tower.

Constable's Gateway was modernized in 1882, and as satated above, is the quarters of the Deputy Constable of Dover Castle, who at one time was the commanding officer of any Dover-based battalion but is now the senior military officer for the district.

From "The History of the Castle, Town and Port of Dover" by Reverend S. P. H. Statham, Rector of St Mary-in-the-Castle:

See: St Mary-in-Castro

Port Tower (Porth Tower) has been known under various names, Laswells Tower (Laswell's Tower), Gostling Tower or Queen Mary's Tower. 

It was supported by the Manor of Dane in Sussex, according to Sir Edward Bering, but it is more probable that the manor of Laswell in Kent was set aside for this purpose. Otherwise one of its names loses all significance. 

Gostling seems to have been the name of one of the knights who held this manor on military tenure, and so gave his name to the tower. It felt down in the reign of Edward VI, and was rebuilt by Queen Mary (Mary I or Mary Tudor), after whom it was consequently named. 

It seems to have been used as an office before its ruin. (Published by Longmans, Green, and Company, 1899) (abridged).

Out of shot to the right, the Western Outer Curtain Wall follows the outline of an Iron Age Hill Fort.


2) Victorian print of Constable's Gate seen from the other side.

The "classic view" of Constable's Gate as seen from Constable's Road near its junction with Castle Hill Road.

This 1869 illustration or engraving, possibly by S or G Winebridge (the lettering is indistinct) was printed W. W. Sprague and Company, London, England.


 3) Similar view as the Victorian print but taken in 2011

A more modern classic view of Constable's Gate, taken by myself on the 20th of May, 2011.

A cycling route map and biometrics during which I took the first photo can be seen on this Polar Flow web page.

Abridged versions of this post are also on Facebook and Twitter.