St Mary's Church, Dover facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church, Dover |
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| 51°7.5539′N 1°18.7730′E / 51.1258983°N 1.3128833°E | |
| OS grid reference | TR 319 415 |
| Location | Dover |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Website | http://stmarysdover.org.uk/ |
| History | |
| Dedication | Saint Mary the Virgin |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 30 June 1949 |
| Specifications | |
| Bells | 8 |
| Administration | |
| Deanery | Dover Deanery |
| Diocese | Diocese of Canterbury |
The Church of St Mary the Virgin is a very old and important church in Dover, Kent. It's located right in the middle of town on Cannon Street. This church is a special type of building called a Grade II* listed building, which means it's protected because of its history and beauty. It's an Anglican church, which is part of the Church of England. People believe there has been a church here since Saxon times, many hundreds of years ago. Most of the church you see today was rebuilt in the 1800s.
A Look at Early History
The church stands on the spot where Roman baths once were. It's thought that a Saxon church was built here first. The Domesday Book, a famous survey from 1086, mentions three churches in Dover. People believe these were St Mary's, St James', and St Peter's.
The oldest parts of the church you can still see today are the tower and some parts of the inside arches. These sections were built in the early 1100s. This style of building is called Norman architecture, which was popular after the Normans came to England.
From 1230, the church was managed by Maison Dieu. This was a special house built in Dover in 1203. It was a place for pilgrims, who were people traveling from other countries to visit Canterbury Cathedral.
The church was closed in 1537 during a time called the Dissolution of the Monasteries. This was when many churches and monasteries were closed down. But the people of Dover asked for it to be reopened. So, in 1544, it became a parish church again, serving the local community. From 1581, it became the official church for the Mayor and town leaders. This happened because St Peter's Church, which used to be their official church, was falling apart and was later taken down.
How the Church Was Rebuilt
In 1843 and 1844, a lot of the church was rebuilt. This happened when Canon John Puckle was in charge. The church, except for its tower, was rebuilt in a style called Early English. This work was done by architects J. C. & C. Buckler.
The church was made bigger during this time. New windows were added high up on the walls, called clerestory windows. These windows help bring more light into the church. The tower itself was also fixed up in 1897.
The church was damaged during the Second World War. Luckily, it wasn't hit directly by bombs. However, many of its beautiful stained glass windows were broken. Since the war, new windows have been put in. These new windows remember important connections between the church and the town of Dover.
The Church Bells
St Mary's Church has eight bells. They were first made by Samuel Knight in 1724. In 1898, when the tower was being fixed, the bells were put into a new frame. One of the bells, the treble bell, was remade by a company called John Warner & Sons. The bells have been rehung twice since then, once in 1947 and again in 2002. This means they were taken down and put back up carefully to make sure they ring well.
A Special Memorial
The church holds a very important memorial. It remembers the people who were victims of the MS Herald of Free Enterprise. This ship sadly turned over outside Zeebrugge in Belgium on March 6, 1987. It was on its way to Dover when the accident happened.
