19 March, 2024

D-F of Dover’s Streets, Ancient And Modern

Sourced by kind permission of Derek Leach from his book ‘Streets of Dover’

Danes Court is off Old Charlton Road. Castell Dane was a medieval ward of Dover but ‘the Danes’ were not in it! The name may come from ‘Dens’, a Saxon word for a clearing in the woods. The 20th century estate was built on the land.

De Burgh Hill is off Templar Street and De Burgh Street runs from Tower Hamlets Road to the Hill. Built soon after 1863, they were named after Hubert de Burgh, Constable of Dover Castle in the reigns of King John and Henry III. He was also Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports and founded the Maison Dieu in 1203 for the reception of pilgrims.

Delaware Dell Part of the post Second World War Buckland Housing Estate. Most of the streets and paths were named after towns or locations in the Commonwealth or the United States, emphasising the role that the Commonwealth and the US played during the War. This path was closed when houses eventually replaced post war prefabs.

Devonshire Road is a cul de sac off Goschen Road. Laid out in 1906, it was named by William Crundall after a prominent politician of the time, the Duke of Devonshire. Houses were not built upon it until 1927 when council houses were constructed.

Dickson Road is off Tower Hamlets Road. This street, the last to be built in Tower Hamlets, was built in 1890 by William Crundall and named after Major Alexander Dickson, MP for Dover 1865-1889 who married Lady North of the Waldershare family..

Dieu Stone Lane is off Maison Dieu Road. This old lane originally ran from St. Mary’s Church to Maison Dieu Road and marked the boundary of the Maison Dieu lands. For many years it was apparently called Dee Stone Lane since there was a boundary stone with a D on it.

Dodd’s Lane is off Crabble Hill. John Dodd, a brickmaker, built Dodd’s House and 12 other houses in 1808. The lane was not formally named until 1879. His ownership of this land was the subject of an unusual court case in 1842. He showed his deeds to George Hudson, notorious for claiming ownership of property. Hudson took the deeds but never returned them and was later sentenced to seven years imprisonment. Unfortunately, Dodd died before the case was heard.

Dolphin Lane is now only a short stretch off Russell Street meeting part of the modern St. James’s Street around the multi-storey car park. Once an important route from the town to the castle, the Dolphin public house was in this ancient lane, but the street name may well be a corruption of Dauphin, recalling the siege of the castle by the French Dauphin in 1216; alternatively, a dolphin was a mooring post for ships. A 1737 map shows it as Turnpike Lane. Until the Second World War it ran from the Market Square to Russell Street, but suffered war damage and lost its buildings and its access to Market Square.

Dolphin Passage ran from Castle Street to Dolphin Lane. See Dolphin Lane.

Dolphin Place was off Dolphin Lane. See Dolphin Lane

Douglas Road runs from Goschen Road to South Road. Built by William Crundall in 1906, he named it after an East Kent Conservative MP.

Dour Street runs from Park Street to Crafford Street. Running parallel to the River Dour, this attractive terraced street was built on Wood’s Meadow in 1859. A proposal to call it Gore Street after the Gorleys who lived at Ladywell Farm for many years did not succeed. Instead it was apparently named after John Crafford, Master of the Maison Dieu in Henry VIII’s reign. It was adopted in 1868.

Douro Place is now a cul de sac off Marine Parade curtailed by the A20. This road originally ran from Marine Paradeto Liverpool Street. Douro was a Spanish title given to the Duke of Wellington following his successes in Spain. Wellington, in addition to being Prime Minister was Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports from 1830 and Chairman of the Harbour Board until his death in 1851.

Drop Redoubt Road is off Bastion Road, Western Heights. It is close to the Drop Redoubt, part of the 19th century fortifications. The Redoubt takes its name from the large mass of stone and mortar on the site, known as the Bredenstone, which is the remains of a Roman lighthouse and known locally as the ‘devil’s drop of mortar’.

Dryden Road is off The Linces, Buckland Estate. Built in 1948, it was one of several roads on the Buckland Estate completed in the late 1940s and named after British poets.

Dunedin Drive is off Melbourne Avenue. Part of the post Second World War Buckland Housing Estate, it dates from 1988. Most of the streets were named after towns or locations in the Commonwealth or the United States, emphasising the role that the Commonwealth and the US played during the War.

Durban Crescent is off Melbourne Avenue. Part of the post Second World War Buckland Housing Estate. Most of the streets were named after towns or locations in the Commonwealth or the United States, emphasising the role that the Commonwealth and the US played during the War.

Durham Close is off Durham Hill. It forms part of the post Second World War redevelopment of the Durham Hill area. See Durham Hill for the name.

Durham Hill runs from York Street to Military Road. This road ran originally from the old York Street to Mount Pleasant. Building began in the late 1820s and John George Lambton, Lord Privy Seal, was created a baron in 1828 and Earl of Durham in 1833. Most of the Durham Hill area was demolished in the 1930s as part of the Corporation’s slum clearance programme.

Durham Place ran from Durham Hill to Mount Pleasant and was built at the same time. See Durham Hill.

East Cliff runs from Townwall Street to Athol Terrace. Before the 19th century there were no buildings at the eastern end of the sea front, only a bank of shingle over which John Smith trudged to reach his peculiar home, known as Smith’s Folly, an upturned boat. Running behind Marine Parade, there are fine buildings dating from 1834 on its south side, fronting the sea, with modest terraced cottages dating from 1817 backing on to the towering east cliff.

East Street runs Tower Hamlets Road to Widred Road. See Tower Hamlets Road. At least this street, built in 1865, was named correctly according to the compass, unlike West Street, North Street and South Road.

Eastbrook Place appears on maps between 1850 and 1900, but is now part of Maison Dieu Road from Dieu Stone Lane to Castle Street. The eastern running branch of the Dour emptied itself into the sea near here. It was called formerly Maison Dieu Place.

Eaton Road runs from Elms Vale Road to Astor Avenue. The Eatons were merchants in the town and three of them were mayor in the 17th century. There are monuments to them in St. Mary’s Church. The last of the male line, Peter Eaton, died in 1769. He was the grandson of Sir Peter Eaton, who died in 1730 aged 75, and great grandson of Captain Nicholas Eaton of Dover. Terry Sutton’s research, however, reveals that the road was named after a member of the Monins family who held land in the Elms Vale area for centuries. John Henry Monins lived at Ringwould House when several streets were laid out in this area around 1900 and Eaton Road was named after his son, John Eaton Monins. The road was adopted in 1903.

Eaves Road is off Markland Road. Tom Eaves was a popular master at St. Martin’s School killed during the First World War. He was also scoutmaster of the local troop and when, later, they built headquarters behind Markland Road it was named Eaves Hall. Some houses were then built and the road took the name. It was adopted in 1974.

Edgar Road runs from Coombe Valley Road to Prospect Place. Edgar, King of the English, reigned from 959 to 975.By one of his laws the Borough Court was held three times a week until the 19th century when Quarter Sessions replaced it. Prior to 1875 the road was called Edgar Place.

Edred Road runs from Noah’s Ark Road to Widred Road. Built in 1865, it was named after the King of the English 946 to 955. Following war damage, prefabs were erected in 1948. See Tower Hamlets Road.

Edwards Road is off Biggin Street. Named after Revd. E. Edwards, Salem Baptist Church minister 1878-1905, it was purchased in 1906 and became a public road.

Effingham Crescent runs from Priory Road to Dover College. It was built by Parker Ayers in 1847. Lady Effingham was a frequent visitor to Dover and contributed to the cost of building Christchurch, which was built at about the same time as the Crescent.

Effingham Passage connects the Folkestone and Military roads for pedestrians. Probably dating from the construction of Military Road and ending opposite Effingham Street, these steps are now called Christchurch Steps since they were adjacent to Christchurch until it was demolished.

Effingham Place was on the corner of Folkestone Road and Effingham Street and built at the same time. See Effingham Street.

Effingham Street is off Folkestone Road. It was called St. Martin’s Street from 1847-1872 and was renamed after Lady Effingham, a frequent visitor to Dover.

Elizabeth Street is off Limekiln Street. Apparently Thomas Digges built a sluice and store with an effigy of Elizabeth I upon it at the end of the street in 1590. It was once an important thoroughfare from Limekiln Street to Hawkesbury Street in the Pier District and contained meeting places for Wesleyans, Roman Catholics and Jews. One side was demolished to make way for Harbour Station in 1860; now it hardly exists except to provide access to a water pumping station and to Channel View Road.

Elm Park Gardens is a cul de sac off Reading Road. It was built in 1965 and takes its name from Elms Vale.

Elms Vale Road is off Folkestone Road. The Elms valley and lane leading to Hougham was renowned for its elm trees. Originally called Elms Road, by 1906 it was only built upon up to the Crown and Sceptre.

Elsam’s Cottages were off Dieu Stone Lane. Richard Elsam was the town architect who built the gaol in Gaol Lane and apparently built this row of cottages in 1820 from left over materials. His best known work has also disappeared, the Round House, built in Townwall Street for John Shipdem, Town Clerk.

Elves Lane is in Joe Harman’s list of Dover Streets. There was a Paving Commissioner named Henry Elve who had a hand in developing Castle Street, which could explain the name.

Endeavour Place was off London Road, Buckland. Along with the public house the Old Endeavour, it takes its name from a privateer fitted out in Dover in 1746. This passage was not named until 1879.

Eric Road runs from London Road to Oswald Road. Built in 1871, it is named after the last Viking king of York, Eric Bloodaxe, who was killed by King Edred of Kent in 954.

Erith Street is off Buckland Terrace, London Road. Built in 1839, it was named by James Beale who came from Erith and built the house, Erith Place, at the end of the road.

Esplanade (The) is now the stretch of the sea front from Harbour House to the Prince of Wales Pier.

Laid out in 1833 on the shingle ridge west from Waterloo Crescent, it included the Esplanade Hotel. It was curtailed in 1977 when the hoverport was constructed.

Ethelbert Road runs from South Road to East Street. It was built in 1865 and named after a king of Kent 560-616, the first English king to convert to Christianity, following the arrival of St.Augustine in 597. See Tower Hamlets Road.

Evison Close is off Parfitt Way. It was built in 1995 and named after Professor Vera Evison, an archaeologist who helped with the excavation of an Anglo-Saxon cemetery on the site in 1994 when 200 graves were found.

Exhibition Place was a row of houses in Woolcomber Street. These houses were built in 1851, the year of the Great Exhibition.

Farthingloe Road is off Manor Rise. Matilda de Ffarninglo held Manor Court Farm from the Prior of Dover during Henry VIII’s reign. Part of the road was adopted in 1952 and the remainder in 1956.

Fector’s Place ran from Russell Street to St. James’s Street. Built in 1835 on the boundary of the gardens belonging to the house of Mr. Fector, the banker, in St. James’s Street. It is now part of Russell Street.

Fifteen Post Lane – see Samson’s Lane, ran from Snargate Street to Paradise Pent and is mentioned in Paving Commissioners’ minutes 1783

Finnis’s Court was off Finnis’s Hill. See Finnis’s Hill.

Finnis’s Hill was off Limekiln Street. On this hill stood the home, workshop and yard of Mr. Finnis, a builder, until about 1830. Before that it was called Upper Walton Lane. The lower lane led from Strond Street to Limekiln Street. Robert Finnis, his son John and his grandson Steriker were all mayors of Dover. The area was demolished in the 1950s as part of a slum clearance programme. The road was closed in 1971.

Finnis’s Place was off Finnis’s Hill.

Fishermen’s Row appears on a 1737 map and was on the beach in the Pier District.

Fishmongers Lane runs from King Street to Mill Lane. Near the Townwall Street entrance to this old lane, once called King’s Lane, stood Fishers Gate where fishermen washed their nets in the river. A small fish market was built in 1831 on one side, which was later replaced by an ice store. Bavington Jones states that it was previously called Butchery Lane where there was doubtless a slaughterhouse.

Five Post Lane connected Adrian Street