The Collection
Tram No. 4, Bench Street Glass slide, circa 1900
This was one of the original batch of 10 tram cars purchased in
1897 seen here passing down Bench Street. It would have had a
livery of 'Medina green and ivory'. This car was scrapped in
1927.
Courts the Wine Merchants can be seen on the right. Founded in
1807 in Snargate St. by Stephen Court, Courts closed shortly after
1900 following the retirement of the sixth generation Court to run
the business, Stephen junior. The Bench St. retail shop opened
about 1872.
Dover Corporation Trams
Dover Corporation Electric Trams were installed in 1897 and
provided a much needed source of transport through Dover which was
spreading up to three miles up the Dour Valley. The first routes to
be authorised were :
- From the Pier to Buckland Bridge : the main line laid through
the length of the town from the South Eastern station to Buckland
Bridge; this was extended from Buckland Bridge through Crabble to
River Church in 1905;
- From Biggin Street through Worthington Street to Maxton; 3 From
New Bridge to East Cliff. The first tramways were opened to the
public, after an initial cost of £27,700, on the 6th of September
1897, by Mayor Alderman Henry Minter Baker. The first several years
of the tram service proved popular and successful, yielding a
profit.
Source : John Bavington Jones : Dover, A Perambulation of
the Town, Port and Fortress. pp.294-296
The system of Dover Corporation Tramways were developed to serve
the expanding town along the valley of the Dour, which was
previously served only by privately owned horse buses. Not all of
the originally proposed tramways were given authorisation, with the
original network stretching from the Pier District along the
seafront to East Cliff, through town and along the valley to
Crabble, and out along the Folkestone Road to the Maxton depot. In
July 1896, a report was prepared looking into the different trams
available and electric powered trams were decided upon. The
contract was won by Dick, Kerr & Co. Ltd for the supply of the
trains and the rails, and the laying of the lines by J. J. Briggs
& Co. of Blackburn.
Once the first track was laid between Buckland Bridge and
Harbour Station trial runs were carried out for the drivers in
September 1897; the line was officially opened on the sixth of
September, running three cars from the 7th. Over the next few
months the other lines were opened up at Crosswall, Folkestone Road
and Maxton.
The proposed tramways are detailed in The Tramways of Kent,
Volume 2 - East Kent, by 'Invicta', 1975, pp284-6. See also :
J. V. Horn, The Story of the Dover Corporation Tramways, 1897 -
1936, 1955.