St James' Church is a ruined church in Dover, England. It was built in the 11th century and restored in the 19th century. Badly damaged in the Second World War, it is now preserved as a Grade II listed building.
| St James' Church, Dover | |
|---|---|
 The ruined church on St James Street | |
 | |
| 51°07′35.07″N 1°19′01.44″E / 51.1264083°N 1.3170667°E | |
| OS grid reference | TR 322 415 |
| Location | Dover |
| Country | England |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Preserved |
| Heritage designation | Grade II |
| Designated | 30 June 1949[1] |
| Architectural type | Norman |
| Completed | c. 1070 |
| Demolished | (partially) 1940s |
History
editIt was originally a Norman building: the Norman arch, with typical chevron patterns, can still be seen.[1]
The church was mentioned in the Domesday Monachorum, compiled in the time of Lanfranc who was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1070 to 1089. This book, a text related to the Domesday Book, mentions it as one of the churches in Dover.[2][3][4]
It was a meeting place of the official courts of the Barons of the Cinque Ports; they met in an addition to the south side of the nave, built in the 14th century. The last such meeting held here took place in 1851, presided over by the Duke of Wellington who was Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports.[1][2][3] The church was closed in 1862, however, it was restored in 1869, and an organ was installed.[2]
Twentieth century
edit
The church was damaged during the First World War: on 19 March 1916 a seaplane dropped bombs which fell nearby, and splinters from the blast caused damage to the roof. It was restored in 1931.[2]
The building was severely damaged by German artillery firing across the English Channel during the Second World War. The tower of the old church, already badly damaged, collapsed in May 1950.[5][2] The building was then made safe and preserved as a "tidy ruin." Dover Borough Council purchased the church and churchyard in 1970 and both have been used as an open public space since then.[5]
New Church
editA new church was built from 1860–1862 to replace this church, which had become too small for the congregation. The new building was a short distance to the north, where more space was available, on Maison Dieu Road. The new church was also damaged by shelling in the Second World War, and was demolished in 1953.[2][3][6]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c Historic England. "Remains of St James's Church (1070325)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f St James' Church Archived 17 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine dover.freeuk.com, accessed 27 March 2014
- ^ a b c St James's Church Dover, Lock and Key of the Kingdom, accessed 11 November 2014 via Wayback Machine
- ^ Domesday Monachorum Domesday Explorer, accessed 8 April 2014 via Wayback Machine.
- ^ a b "Works to St. James's Church, Dover" (PDF). Dover District Council. 4 February 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 December 2023.
- ^ Dover, St James the Apostle, New Church Love's Guide to the Church Bells of Kent, accessed 8 April 2014 via Wayback Machine.
