Dover; Moats Bulwark

Also known as, or recorded in historical documents as; Moates; bulwark under Dover Castle; the bulwark subtus castrum Doveri

In the civil parish of Dover. In the historic county of Kent (Modern Authority of Kent, 1974 county of Kent).

In around 1540 Henry VIII built three artillery fortifications at Dover to protect the newly constructed harbour. One of these, Moats's Bulwark, was situated at the foot of the cliff beneath Dover Castle, and provided additional protection to its southern flank. The battery was probably completed in around March 1939. A C16 plan depicts it as a timber revetted platform approached by tunnels in the cliff, although it was remodelled as a large semi-circular battery in around 1750, and in 1856 linked with the castle by a spiral stairway tunnelled into the cliff.

This site is a scheduled monument protected by law.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is TR32534152

Air Photo from Air Photo and general mapping	1st edition OS Map from Mid to late 19th century maps
Modern Map from Landscape form and features	Modern Map from General location and route planning
Geograph British Isles occasionally has photos of the site and will usually give an idea of the surrounding landscape.

Sources of information, references and further reading

This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is 467990
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly Sites and Monuments Record) number is TR 34 SW 83 'grey' literature, such as watching brief reports, held by H.E.R.s is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded in this website.

• Books
  • Harrington, Peter, 2007, The Castles of Henry VIII (Oxford: Osprey) p12, 38
    Salter, Mike, 2000, The Castles of Kent (Malvern) p57
    Coed, Jonathan, 1995, Dover Castle (London: Batsford)
    Bennett, D., 1977, A handbook of Kent's defences from 1540 until 1945 p17-30
• Journal Articles
  • Coad, J.G., and Lewis, P.N., 1982, 'The later fortifications of Dover' Post-Medieval Archaeology Vol16 p141-208
    Brown, R.Allen, 1970, 'Dover Castle' The Archaeological Journal Vol126 p210
• Guidebooks
  • Brown, R.Allen. 1985 4edn, Dover Castle, Kent(English Heritage) p43-44
    Brown, R.Allen. 1966, Dover Castle, Kent (HMSO) p42
• Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents - This section is far from complete and the secondary sources should be consulted for full references.)
  • c. 1541, The Bulwerck under the Castell Dyke [picture] http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/unvbrit/a/001cotaugi00002u00084000.html