Dover Town Council

Pencester Gardens may never have been built if some of the proposed schemes for this area had come to fruition.

When Pencester Road was laid out in 1860, it was intended to build a street, to be called Neville Road, from Pencester Road to Eastbrook Place but this never happened. About 1880 the land was acquired with the intention of using it for a Dover station in connection with the Channel Tunnel, which was then being planned to run from St Margarets.

When that project failed it was suggested that it be used for building a new Town Hall but in the end facilities were improved at the Maison Dieu instead. Other plans included a recreation ground and a relief road to ease congestion in Biggin Street. In its later years the site was used as a timber yard.

In November 1922 the land was purchased by the Corporation and the new gardens were laid out. Pencester Gardens opened in 1924, as well as the usual lawns and flowerbed there as also a play area for children and a miniature golf course. The gardens have been a pleasant green space in the centre of the town since then, and have provided a venue for many fetes and funfairs.

In 2000 a pavilion for band concerts and other performances was built to commemorate the new Millennium.

The Millennium Path, which runs around the pavilion, was completed in 2001. The path is made up of 100 flagstones each commemorating an event in Dover's history, each one sponsored by a local resident or business.

Events commemorated on the Millennium Path

120 200 696 1050 1066 1086 1130 1154 1180 1203 1213 1216 1265 1278 1295 1348 1415 1416 1460 1496 1498 1520 1532 1535 1573 1588 1588 1605 1606 1621 1642 1660 1670 1671 1680 1684 1736 1746 1756 1770 1785 1789 1805 1815 1820 1828 1844 1846 1846 1850 1851 1852 1858 1871 1875 1890 1899 1900 1907 1908 1909 1909 1909 1910 1918 1919 1920 1921 1921 1922 1924 1925 1927 1935 1940 1944 1944 1945 1945 1953 1956 1959 1960 1965 1969 1971 1971 1973 1974 1975 1979 1988 1990 1992 1994 1995 1996 1996 1997 2000

Two Roman Pharos lighthouses built Roman Painted House built St Martin-le-Grand founded Cinque Ports formed Norman Invasion – Dover sacked and burnt William Fitz Godfrey – First Mayor of Dover Dover Priory founded King Stephen died at Dover Priory Castle Keep begun Maison Dieu founded by Hubert De Burgh King John surrendered crown to Pope at Dover Siege of Castle by Louis, Dauphin of France Dover’s first MP elected Confederation of Cinque Ports founded St Thomas of Dover martyred Black Death devastated town Henry V landed at Dover after Agincourt Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund landed at Dover Warwick landed at Dover to lead Yorkist army Fellowship of Cinque Ports Pilots formed First artificial harbour built Henry VIII left Dover for Field of Cloth of Gold Composer Thomas Tallis working at Dover Priory Dissolution of Dover Priory Visit of Elizabeth I Spanish Armada fled through Straits of Dover Last Cinque Ports ship service performed Shakespeare visited Dover, writing cliff into ‘King Lear’ Dover Harbour Board formed First Huguenot refugees arrived Civil War – Castle seized by Parliamentarians Charles II landed at Dover for Restoration Treaty of Dover First Collector of Customs in Dover appointed Earthquake damaged Castle walls Edict of Nantes – Huguenots settled in Dover Philip Yorke of Dover made Lord Chancellor Isaac Minet & Peter Fector founded Minet’s Bank John Wesley preached, starting Dover Methodist movement Buckland Mill producing paper Blanchard & Jeffries –  first cross-channel balloon flight Dover Charity School founded (later St Mary’s) Grand Shaft commenced Duke of Wellington landed at Dover after Waterloo Smugglers wrecked Dover Gaol Duke of Wellington installed as Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports Direct rail link to London established Willard Sawyer founded Dover Velocipede Works, world’s first cycle factory Dover Rowing Club established Chamber of Commerce founded Poet Matthew Arnold wrote ‘Dover Beach’ Charles Dickens lived in Dover Dover Express established Dover College founded Captain Webb swam Channel Kent coal discovered at Dover Marconi sent first cross-channel radio message from Dover Town Hall Dover Marquee Company founded Prince Fushimi of Japan arrived at Dover for State Visit First car carried across Channel Louis Blériot – first cross-channel flight The Duke of York’s Royal Military School moved to Dover Admiralty Harbour opened by Prince of Wales Charles Rolls - first return cross-channel flight Dover Patrol Raid on Zeebrugge – St George’s Day King Albert of the Belgians arrived by seaplane -first Head of State to visit Britain by air Coffin of ‘Unknown Soldier’ taken via Dover to Westminster Abbey Dover Royal British Legion formed Dover Patrol Memorial erected The Rotary Club of Dover established Admiral Keyes unveiled War Memorial Dover Rugby Football Club founded Channel Swimming Association formed Dover Life Guard Club founded Dunkirk Evacuation D Day (6th June) Royal Hippodrome (Dover’s Front Line Theatre) closed by enemy action Sir Winston Churchill installed as Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports Dover’s first Labour MP elected First Car Ferry terminal opened Dover twinned with Split, Croatia SRN1 - first cross-channel hovercraft Dorothy Bushell, Dover’s first lady Mayor elected First RORO ferry entered service 69 Motorcycle Club formed in Dover Roman Painted House discovered Dover Lions Club chartered Dover twinned with Calais Dover District Council replaced Dover Corporation Visit of Elizabeth II Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother installed as Admiral & Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports & Constable of Dover Castle Dover Counselling Centre opened Channel Tunnel undersea breakthrough Discovery of Dover Bronze Age Boat (c. 1550bc), the world’s oldest seagoing boat Samphire Hoe opened Dover Access & Mobility Group founded Dover Town Council formed Cruise Liner Terminal opened Dover Cruise Welcome Group formed Pencester Pavilion opened