The Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin has shared to the full in both the spiritual and civic life of the ancient town and port of Dover. It is situated in the centre of the town in the main street (Cannon Street) and close by the old Market Square, for centuries the hub of activity, and still at the centre of the town's life. The Church has been increased in size three times, and excavations under the floor near the font have shown that it is built on the site of Roman baths.
The first tiny Saxon Church of St Mary was built by the Secular Canons of Dover, twenty-four in number, who lived originally in Dover Castle in what is still known as the Canons' Gate. They were pioneers of Christianity in Dover and East Kent for nearly four centuries.
In 697 A.D. King Withred built them a Church and Monastery of St Martin, near the site of the present Market Square. To take services at St Marys they would walk from St Martins by way of the present main street, which thus became known as Canon Street (now spelt Cannon Street). We do not know when the Saxon Church was built, but it was destroyed by the Normans in the Fire of Dover in 1066. The present Church is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, so it must have been built before then, but the exact date is unknown.
St Marys is one of three Dover churches mentioned in the Domesday Book, the others being St James and St Peter, and the amount of the annual payment to the Canons of St Martins was 38/8d. As St Marys paid the largest part of this sum, it seems likely that it was the most important of the three.
In the 16th Century, after the Dissolution of Religious Houses, St Marys was given to the people of Dover by King Henry VIII, a frequent visitor to this town and church. Until 1558 the Vicars of St Marys were styled "Sir" instead of "Reverend". The Rev John Reading, Vicar in the 17th Century, was imprisoned as a Royalist during the Civil War, and his place was taken by five succeeding ministers during the Cromwellian period who were known as "the intruders". At the Restoration John Reading was reinstated as Vicar, and it was he who, along with the Mayor and Corporation, met King Charles II and presented him with a Bible when His Majesty landed at Dover. The scene is depicted in a stained glass window in the ancient Maison Dieu, now part of the Town Hall.
In 1843-44, during the incumbency of Canon Puckle, the old medieval building was rebuilt, with the exception of the tower, in the style of the time. During excavations at the foot of a pillar an embalmed body was found which at first was thought to be that of King Stephen. The body was in a lead-lined casket and the embalming denoted a person of some standing. The hair and beard were trimmed in a manner usual in King Stephen's day. It seems unlikely that this was the body of the King, as he is now believed to have been buried at Faversham. During this rebuilding work the roof was raised and a clerestory added, as well as the sanctuary apse at the east end, while the south aisle was widened to match the north aisle.
During the Second World War Dover was a Naval base, and many Navy personnel worshipped regularly in St Marys. The Church suffered considerable damage owing to enemy action, but miraculously was not directly hit. On leaving Dover the Navy made a gift that there might be some mark of their having used the Church during the War. With that gift and money from the War Damage Commission, the Seafarers' Window was installed in 1958, with badges of various seafaring organisations including the Royal and Merchant Navies and the Royal Dutch Navy, and carrying the dedication "To the Glory of God, and to commemorate all those who sailed from this Port in the Second World War, especially those who gave their lives in the service of their King and Country".
1961 saw the first visit to the Dover Deanery of the new Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Michael Ramsey (pictured right) and in 1980 we welcomed Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, who dedicated a memorial window to the Air Sea Rescue servicemen (pictured above). In 1987 the Church sprang to international prominence when it was the venue for the Memorial Service to those who died in the tragic sinking of the Herald of Free Enterprise car ferry off the coast of Belgium. On the evening of 6th March the ship had set sail for Dover and capsized shortly after leaving the port of Zeebrugge, with the loss of 193 lives. At the service the church was packed with friends and relatives of those who died, many of whom still make an annual visit to the church, which is kept open on the anniversary of the tragedy for them to pay their respects. The Herald Memorial Window provides a focal point and a quiet area for prayer and remembrance.
In 1993 the St Marys family was stunned by the death of the Vicar, Canon Allan Simper. Allan, who declared in his inaugural sermon at St Marys that he had "come fishing for Dover souls" announced to his congregation from the pulpit that he was suffering from cancer, but that he considered his illness to be the final stage of his earthly pilgrimage. He died in October 1993, and was succeeded by Father Graham Batten, who served as Vicar from 1994-2000.
The Reverend David Ridley was appointed Vicar in succession to Father Graham in May 2001, and he has worked tirelessly to engage the church with the secular life of the town, in particular with homeless people and those seeking asylum in the UK. The Parish Centre hosts a weekly drop-in centre for asylum seekers which is staffed by volunteers from many Dover churches across the denominational spectrum. There is now a thriving Sunday School and youth group - The Kids' Kool Club - whose members contribute enormously to the life of the parish.
St Marys also hosts an annual series of concerts featuring local, national and international performing artists. In the past few years the church has hosted memorable occasions with performers from St Petersburg and Herning (Denmark), as well as organ recitals given by musicians from St Davids (Wales), Aberdeen (Scotland) and the internationally renowned recitalist and recording artist David Liddle from London.
