54 



THE DOVER ROAD 



who had placed ancient men and times on record 

 should himself be forgotten. 



We may be thankful that Spielman did no more to 

 the church, for, had he rebuilt it, we should have lost 

 one of the finest and most picturesque churches on the 



OT^I>:t4^ 



■^^^^^^i^S^^^^ 





DARTFORD CHURCH. 



Dover Road, whose tall tower, severely unornamental, 

 with clock oddly placed on one side, is such a pro- 

 minent feature of Dartford. Gundulf, that famous 

 architect-bishop of Rochester, to whom Rochester 

 Keep, Dover Castle, the White Tower of the Tower of 

 London, portions of Rochester Cathedral, and a number 

 of other buildings, civil, ecclesiastical and military, are 

 ascribed with more or less show of authority, is supposed 

 to have built Dartford tower, not so much for religious 

 as for defensive uses. For hereby runs the Darent 

 across the road, and no bridge s])anncd the ford when 

 Gundulf s tower was first built. It therefore guarded 



