History Dover College

in 1869 robert chignell, had private school @ westmount, in folkestone road, leased part of dover priory buildings private school. passed on interest, however, group of leading citizens , local businessmen in dover, led mayor of dover, dr. astley, had formed dover college company promote foundation of public school town on remained of priory site dual intention of providing public school education local boys , of using , preserving priory s remaining ancient buildings.

it set in grounds , ruins of priory of st. martin, ransacked king henry viii part of dissolution of monasteries. priory gives name dover s main railway station built on western part of priory site. of original medieval buildings remain. 12th century strangers refectory still used eating hall , concerts (it grade ii* listed). college chapel priory guesthouse, built in 12th century, grade ii* listed. bell tower added in late 19th century. gatehouse of priory (also listed) used music room. central lawn of school still referred close. composer thomas tallis organist priory in late 16th century, , commemorated in naming of college s tallis music school.

the college founded , opened boys school on 15 september 1871. end of first term there 21 boys in school, , end of next summer 32 had joined them. acquired large hall, or guest-house, in 1879 , converted school chapel enlarging east end apse. in time, ecclesiastical commissioners made on whole property college trustees. refectory restored, revealing important damaged fresco, (in 1881, mark charitable act sir richard dickenson mayor of dover) gatehouse. gatehouse restored celebrated architect george edmund street , used music room junior department.

20th century

in august 1917, part of school damaged during air raid, , decision taken evacuate college dover leamington college in leamington spa in midlands; school returned dover in 1919 150 pupils. during world war i, in common many other schools, old dovorians became officers in british armed forces , result suffered high casualty rates. 177 former pupils died; 58 dovorians awarded dso , 89 mc – of foreign awards 8 awarded croix de guerre , 6 russian order of saint stanislas. 1 naval officer – arthur leyland harrison – posthumously received victoria cross zeebrugge raid; old boy, gen sir reginald dallas brooks, on raid , won dso before going on become governor of victoria.

in 1921 jubilee of school celebrated, including dedication of war memorial , bell memorial in chapel. 1922 trust set old boys took ownership of college , in 1923 reconstituted royal charter, defined aims:

the object of corporation of dover college shall conduct of college boys … in may receive sound religious, classical, mathematical, scientific , general education , doing of such things conducive attainment of objective.

during second world war, dover on front line, straits of dover separating town nazi-occupied france, , 1 of areas german invasion. result, school again evacuated, term blundell s school in devon dover college had long-standing friendship, , thence poltimore house, in devon. returned dover in 1945 168 boys. during war 102 former pupils died; lt col terence otway won famous dso action in capturing merville battery on d-day.

in 1974, dover college 1 of first english public schools become co-educational. in september 2001 opened junior department pupils aged 4–11.

in 2009, dover college opened pre-reception class welcome three-year-old children.