UCL Discovery

Abstract

This note examines the preliminary work undertaken for the remodelling of Dover Harbour in 1583, and the contribution made by the men of Romney Marsh, who were able to exploit their extensive corporate experience of building marsh-walls. It draws on archival sources, and on a narrative account of the project by Reginald Scott, published in Holinshed's Chronicles in 1587. This material provides valuable insights into the technical and social context in which Romney walls of the early modern period were constructed.