Arms of Dover - Marine Parade, Dover, Kent, UK
N 51° 07.411 E 001° 18.993
31U E 382190 N 5664908
This mosaic is on the Dover sea front on Marine Parade. It depicts the south east corner of England and the near continent displaying ports where the ferries from Dover had sailed to over the years. The coat of arms is in the bottom left corner.
Waymark Code: WMH3QH
Location: South East England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 05/17/2013
Views: 5
The Dover Kent website tells us:
"The Arms of Dover were used by the Borough of Dover until Local Government Reorganisation in 1974. After this they were used by the Charter Trustees of Dover until 1996, when they were adopted by the newly formed Dover Town Council.
The Arms are in trefoil, or three lobed, form. At the top they contain a shield bearing the Arms of the Cinque Ports, beneath this are devices copied from the seal of the Borough dating from 1305. Beneath is a ribbon bearing the words “Ville-et-Portus-Dover” (Town and Port of Dover).
The Cinque Port Arms show the front halves of the three lions from the Arms of England joined to the back halves of three ships. Dover District Council has adopted a variant of the Cinque Port Arms.
The device on the lower left hand side of the Dover Arms is taken from the front of the Corporate Seal and shows a mediaeval Cinque Ports ship believed to date from around 1284.
The device on the lower right hand side is from the reverse of the Seal and represents the legend of St Martin of Tours, the Patron Saint of Dover. St Martin is shown on horseback dividing his clock with his sword for the poor man he meets outside the city gate of Amiens.
The Arms of Dover cannot be described as a ‘Coat of Arms’ as they are not registered with the College of Heralds, technically it is a ‘device’ which was acquired over the years. An attempt to register the Arms was dropped, as the question of alterations (some of the items on the Arms are not heraldically correct) and other complications (mainly financial) arose."
The White Cliffs Country website tells us:
"Mosaic map showing the routes from Dover to Channel Ports of Ostend, Dunkirk, Calais and Boulogne. The arms of the old Borough of Dover show the three ship insignia of the Cinque Ports, a medieval ship and St.martin, the town's patron saint, giving half his cloak to a beggar."
The mosaic has lost some of its "shine" and is looking old with some minor damage. The array of colours used can still be seen and may of the glazed pieces are square in shape. The mosaic is about four metres by four metres in size.
Wikipedia tells us about Dover:
"The History of Dover, because of the town's proximity to the Continent begins when Stone Age people crossed what was then a land bridge, before the opening up of the English Channel. Since then, successive invasions of peoples have taken place. Archaeological finds have revealed a great deal, particularly about cross channel trade and the attempts of those various inhabitants to build large-scale defences against European invaders on this part of the English coast.
In more modern times the emphasis has tended to be on the growth of Dover as a commercial port, both for passenger and freight ferries and for cruise ships. There is also a relatively large tourist industry built around the town’s historical sites."