Knights Templar Church, Dover

The Knights Templar Church is a ruined medieval church in Dover's Western Heights featuring an unusual circular floor plan with an attached rectangular chancel. The remaining walls are built from flint and show the original design of a religious site that served medieval Dover's seafaring community.

The church was built around 1001 and served Dover's religious community for centuries. Its remains were rediscovered in 1806 when fortifications were being expanded in the Western Heights.

The circular form connects to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, showing how medieval English communities felt linked to sacred places in the East.

The ruins are open during daylight hours without entrance fees, though the uneven ground requires appropriate footwear. Visitors should move carefully as loose stones and aged structures present potential hazards.

The site may have been connected to the Templars, a military-religious order that held great power in medieval times. This connection makes it a rare remnant of a religious network that once shaped all of Europe.

Location: Dover

Inception: 11 century

Website: https://english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/knights-templar-church-dover

GPS coordinates: 51.11880,1.30449

Latest update: December 14, 2025 12:24