Napier Road - This is a name, which could have been used with local associations since David Napier was the owner of the “Rob Roy” the first steam vessel to operate from Dover on the Cross Channel service. But in fact the road is named after the New Zealand city devastated by an earthquake in 1931 and re-built two years later. That city is also head quarters of the Hawke's Bay Regiment the allied regiment of the Prince of Wales Volunteers.

Natal Road - Which joins Durban Crescent to Melbourne Avenue is named after the Natal Province in South America .

New Hampshire Way - Another of the American states which includes a Dover within its boundaries.  This in fact is the largest of a number of Dover's in the U.S.A. with a population of about 15,000.       

Nevada Lane - Another of the Pacific states of the United States of America whose names are so numerous on the Buckland Estate.

New Bridge - The bridge now concealed by property on both sides was designated “New” when built in 1800 to distinguish it from the old Buggin's Bridge a little further up the river.  A better name might have been found for the road leading from the town over the river Dour to the sea.  The bridge was constructed in 1800.  Before this time the river was visible and in election times people were sometimes tossed over into the water by the way of a joke.  The old bridge was constructed in 1618 out of good and sufficient hewed stones taken out of the decayed Church of St. Martin. The road then led to the Ordnance Buildings and Jells Rope Walk and Battery all on land reclaimed from the sea. 

New Street - This rather uninspired name was given to the street about 1785 when houses were built upon it.  Previously it had the much more intriguing name appellation “Turne-Againe Lane.” Both New Street and York Street were very ancient thoroughfares. Turne-Againe Lane is first mentioned on the endorsement of a document of 1540 but it probably existed before that as a connection between the Priory and the Kings Highway.

New York Rise - Another of the American names on the Buckland Valley estate.

Noah's Ark Road - The development of this road followed that of Wyndham Road, Douglas Road and Lowther Road at the end of the last century.   It took it’s name from Noah's Ark Dairy, which stood at the western end of the road. The dairy in turn was probably given the name because it lay under the hill known as Mount Arrarat. Noah's Ark Road follows the line of an ancient footpath to Whinless Down.

Norman Street - This street being at right angles and close to the Norman Refectory of St. Martin’s Priory it was appropriately named in this way showing that the builder recognised the work of the Norman’s in the ruins nearby.

Northampton Street - There was no road here at all till this street was made but only the back gardens doors of Snargate Street houses out of which the owners could come at high tide and get into a boat as they do at Venice.  At low tide there was mud and beach.  Before the road was properly constructed it was always called Pent Side in common with the road further down the quay, which is now called Commercial Quay.  The notice board of Pent Side Chapel still perpetuates the name.  Northampton was a name given this road in remembrance of Henry Howard Earl of Northampton who was Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports in the time of King James I.  He interested himself in the state of the town, piers and harbour, and reported on the subject to the King who gave him the land near the pier and harbour. The Earl afterwards presenting it to the harbour authorities.  He died in Dover and was buried in the Church of St. Mary-in-the Castle but in 1696 his body was removed (owing to the ruinous state of the Church.) and taken to Greenwich Hospital Chapel, which he had founded.

Northbourne Avenue - This is another of the names of prominent conservatives in this case the grandfather of the present Lord Northbourne chosen by Sir William Crundall when laying out a lower part of Tower Hamlets early this century.  In this case however the intended road was never built.  But when the Town Council later came to build the Astor Avenue estate they adopted this name as one having a local association.

Odo Road - The name chosen for this road is one connected with very ancient Dover. Odo was half brother to William the Conqueror and was Bishop of Bayeux.  He, unlike the Bishops of the present day took part in the warlike preparations of his brother, and even it is said fighting in the battle of Hastings . He became Earl of Kent and was nominated Constable of Dover Castle, “The Key of the Kingdom” He established himself in Kent and was so powerful that none dared oppose him.

Old Folkestone Road - In the old days communication with Folkestone was mainly by sea.  The land routes were through Elms Vale or over Swingfield Minnis, but there was a track used by packhorses along the cliffs from Folkestone and then by a track over the Western Heights to the Priory.  Old Folkestone Road became a turnpike in 1763 but lost that status 20 years later when the new Folkestone Road was opened along it’s present route.

Oregon Path - On that part of the post-war Buckland Estate given the American names. Oregan is one of the states of the U.S.A between Washington and California.

Oswald Road - St. Oswald was King of Northumbria from 625 to 642, and established Christianity among his subjects.  

Ottawa Crescent - Runs through the main part of the Buckland Valley Estate where the streets have been given commonwealth names. Ottawa itself being the name of both a city and a river in Canada.

Oxenden Street - Is another of the Pier Districts streets, which have disappeared with the passage of time.  It was on reclaimed ground and named after Sir Henry Oxenden, who was a member of the Harbour Board for 14 Years. Without payment Sir Henry undertook the direction of harbour works, rebuilt the north pier, designed and had built in his own carpenters shop at Broome Park, a bridge for the Crosswall, and when he was 80 completed a most successful system of sluices to drive away the shingle bar which always threatened to block the harbour.  It is recorded that during these works he would often leave Broome Park at 4 a.m, inspect the work at Dover, return to Broome Park, and then after refreshment take a fresh horse and go to Dover again.  Having again superintended the work he might then drive to Walmer Castle to dine with the Duke of Wellington or the Earl of Guilford at Waldershare.  While he dined his coachman would return to Broome with the gig and fetch a closed carriage in which to drive Sir Henry home.

Palmerston Terrace - Another of our Lord Wardens names has been used here, that of Lord Palmerston, who held the office from 1861-1865.  When he was installed he mentioned in his speech that he was the 119th Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports. So we have a long list of names to choose from if we build more streets in Dover and wish to perpetuate the memory of the worthies.

Paper Alley - Was the name given to some of the first houses built on the north side of Bridge Street about 1830.  Although paper making was by then quite a thriving industry in the town, the nearest mill was some distance further up the Dour valley at Buckland, the connection appears to have been that hereabout's the land belonged to Mr. William Kingsford who had a oil cake mill at Charlton also owned a corn mill now Mannering's and a paper mill on the opposite bank of the Dour at Buckland. Mr Kingsford, who had Lundy House London Road, built for his own occupation, the private bridge over the river beside Mannering's Mill to give better access to his paper mill.

Paradise Street - Was one of those narrow streets of the old Pier District, which were built when Paradise Pent was reclaimed.

Pardoner’s Way - The pardoner in “Canterbury Tales” a pardoner being one commissioned to grant papal indulgences or pardons.

Paris Yard - Near the Grand Shaft was the first name of a short narrow street later known as St. Johns Place.  It was built on land at the back of the yard of the old Paris Hotel. In later years it has been re-named St. John’s Place.

Park Avenue - When the Dover Castle estate as it was called was first laid out in 1885, Park Avenue was the main artery between Five Ways and Connaught Park laid out only a year or two before.  In view of the enthusiasm created by the new park and it’s opening by the Duke of Connaught it was rather natural that the main approach should be called Park Avenue although there were already in existence a Park Street and a Park Place.

Park Street - The naming of this street caused a certain amount of feeling when the houses were built in the 1860’s.  The Town Council proposed reasonably enough, that the street should be considered an extension of Ladywell. But some who had bought property there objected because they had already got the name Park Street recorded in their deeds. They won the day.  The name was not inappropriate since the land was part of the old Maison Dieu Park and it’s aptness has since been increased by the fact that it now leads to Park Avenue and Connaught Park.

Parsons Way and Pilgrims Way - Two more Buckland Estate streets named after the pilgrims of Chaucer's “Canterbury Tales.”

Paul’s Place - Is built on part of the land at the corner of London Road and Bridge Street, which for centuries was known as “Paul’s Corner.”  In 1647 two acres of pasture land “neere Paul’s Corner” was purchased by the Dover Almshouse Trust.  When the Turnpike Act came into force “the corner” was let to the Turnpike Trust for the erection of a Toll House and for use as a stone-yard. 

Pear Tree Lane - This is one of the old lanes, which have disappeared.  It was a continuation of Five Post Lane into that part of Chapel Place , then known as “Abovewall.” It took its name from a pear tree, which flourished there.

Pencester Street and Road - Named after Stephen de Pencester, who assisted Hubert de Burgh to defend the Castle against the Dauphin of France in 1216.  Afterwards Stephen became Constable of the Castle. Also a nobleman of the name of Penchester held the post of Lord Warden in the reign of Edward III or Richard II. In 1880 it was ordered by the council that the name of Penchester Street be changed to Pencester Road.

Perth Way - Is named after the capital of Western Australia, and is one of the turnings off Auckland Crescent on the Buckland Valley estate.

Peter Street and Paul’s Place - Are both in the Parish of S.S. Peter and Paul Charlton, and therefore are appropriately called after the Patron Saints of the parish.

Pierces Court - Named after the owner of the property was a small off shoot from Last Lane where Dove's first theatre operated between 1780 and 1790 when it was transferred to Snargate Street.

Pilgrims Place - Was a row of old cottages in St. Radigund’s Road long since demolished so-called after the pilgrims who in ancient times passed this way to St. Radigund’s Abbey.

Pioneer Road - Before the turn of the century the late Mr. George Solly a well-known local builder purchased land here from Mr. Murray Lawes.  With the help from his son, Mr. Solly laid out the road and built the houses and then seeking a name for his new street said “let’s call it Pioneer Road since we pioneered it.”

Pleasant Row - This whole neighbourhood used to be called Mount Pleasant before it was so thickly populated, and it well deserved its name as it was a very pleasant airy spot with a fine view of the bay castle and surrounding hills.

Poulton Close - On the Union Road council housing estate is named after the adjoining property, which comprises a parish having neither church, parson, nor public house.

Pretoria Terrace - This was the first name given to this street now known as Brookfield Avenue.  It was laid out at about the time of the Boer War and took the name of the South African town where the Boer leaders surrendered.

Prioress Walk - This is another of the Buckland Estate roads which derived their names from the “Canterbury Tales” but there was a special reason for this particular street.  Prioress Walk skirted what was to have been a children’s play ground.  There were only three women among Chaucer’s pilgrims and it was felt appropriate that the name of one of them should be given to a road beside a part of the estate intended to be reserved for children.

Priory Gate Road - Takes it name from the old gateway to the Priory still standing nearby within the Dover College precincts.

Priory Hill, Street, Road, Grove and Place - Leads to or overlooks St. Martin’s Priory now more commonly called Dover College.  The old Benedictine Priory founded in the 12th century “in the fields near Dover” ceased to exist in the days of Henry VIII and the buildings had been used by a farmer.  In 1872 they were bought by a company and converted into a Collegiate School for Dover. The Priory is now of course the home of Dover College.

Primrose Road - Place - Is another of those in the Union Road area named after distinguished Army officers of the late nineteenth century.  Major-General Primrose having made his name in the Afghan War. 

Queens Avenue - The Queen here commemorated is Queen Mary.  The whole empire was celebrating the Silver Jubilee of her royal spouse King George V. in 1935 when this road and the adjoining Kings Road were being laid out.

Queen Elizabeth Street - In 1878 it was proposed that the part of the town now known as the 40 Feet Road should be called Queen Elizabeth Street  to go from Crosswall to Trinity Parsonage. This is the remains of a square of that name which was partly pulled down during the construction of the London, Chatham and District Railway.  Queen Elizabeth visited Dover in 1573 on her return from the Continent, and by the way of making herself agreeable to the people of Dover said that the ground on which she stepped when she landed was to be freehold, so the Pier District chose her name for one of it’s squares and it also had a statue of her erected in another part.  This is pictured in an old plan of the district and mentioned by Lieut. B. Worthington in his book on the harbour improvements.    

Queen’s Gardens - There is now nothing rural or even horticultural about this thoroughfare.  But early in the nineteenth century this area was pleasant rural gardens belonging to the Gunman’s Mansion, which stood where Pencester Road now is.  These “gardens” are accounted for. But who was the Queen commemorated by this street is not so easy to decide. It was certainly not Queen Victoria for the street bore it’s name before she came to the throne.  A surgeon, Mr. George Dell owned the gardens after the Gunman’s and it is thought he may have named the street but which Queen he had in mind is unknown.

Queen Street - The relative unimportance of road communications in olden times is well illustrated by the fact that this narrow thoroughfare was at least until the seventeenth century the main road to Folkestone, which proceeded via Cow Gate and Western Heights. It was by this road that Queen Elizabeth entered the town in August 1573 during her historic progress through Kent.  That was one of the most glittering pieces of pageantry Dover has ever seen.  Her Majesty was accompanied by the Archbishop of Canterbury, The Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, the Cinque Ports Barons and all their followers as well as the ladies and knights in the Royal entourage.  In honour of the Queen, the ladies were mounted on chargers adorned with rich pillion cloths of lace and embroidery.  Altogether there were about 7,000 horses in the cavalcade.  There were about a thousand distinguished people on horse-back and upwards of a thousand two wheeled wagons each drawn by six horses.  Although once a “main road” and despite it’s central situation Queen Street has few ancient associations and is not mentioned in any old charters and deeds.  No doubt though when a name became necessary the cavalcade, which passed that way in 1573 was borne in mind.

Randolph Gardens - Lord Randolph Churchill was a prominent member of the Conservative Party in Parliament and was at one time Chancellor of the Exchequer.  Mr. Crundall the builder who planned this row of houses and upon whose land they were built was a true Conservative and wished to do honour to him.

Randolph Road - Like Randolph Gardens a terrace of houses in Salisbury Road has acquired an additional local association since the day when it was named after Lord Randolph Churchill a prominent Conservative Parliamentarian of the 1880’s.  The additional local significance is that his son is now Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports Sir Winston Churchill.  Lord Randolph seems to have been particularly popular here for he also gave his name to Churchill Street.

Reading Road - The Marquis of Reading was Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports from January 1934 until his death in December of the following year the period at which the Elms Vale estate was developing and this connecting link between Markland Road and Elms Vale Road was named after him.  The Marquis of Reading was another Lord Warden who had been Viceroy of India.  In his earlier days he was well known as Mr. Rufus Isaacs K .C.  He became Lord Chief Justice of England.

Regina Way - Regina is the capital of Saskatchan and this street is another of those which join Melbourne Avenue and Green Lane and bear Canadian names chosen for their association with the Armed Forces, Regina being the headquarters of the Regina Rifle Regiment.   

River Street - Nothing needs to be said about this road, the derivation is so obvious, but it is interesting to note that the first cottages built there were for the workers of River Paper Mill who began the local Co-operative movement by forming River Co-operative Society in 1880.  

Ropewalk - Rope making, one time a local industry of some importance. The original Ropewalk was on the shingle bank, which now forms Marine Parade.  Later it was established on Shakespeare Beach but this in turn was bought up in 1843 by the railway company and trains now cross the site when they emerge from Shakespeare tunnel.  Having twice been displaced from the beach the rope manufactory moved on to firm ground below the Western Heights but very soon the business died out and the land became a recreation ground.  But the name has stuck.

Round Tower Street - This street used to be two towers on a wall of chalk and earth built by John Clark - Master of the Maison Dieu in Henry VII reign.  The wall extended in a direct line from the Archcliffe Fort to South Pier Head and made a kind of safe little inner harbour for seamen’s boats, which was so satisfactory that it required the names of  “Little Paradise” or “ Paradise Pent.”  The Towers are shown in a picture of Henry VIII embarkation at Dover, which hangs in the Council Chamber. There was a part of one of the towers still standing as late as 1813. There were rings on the tower to which ships could be attached.

Ruffins Court - This builder called this court after his own name not being an imaginative nature.  He combined the sale of sheep's trotters and tripe with his other occupations, and had a cart and horse in which he took his goods to a neighbouring  villages. He was also bell ringer at St. Mary’s Church.  In this Court in the days of our grandfathers was a room, which was let to the “elite” of Dover for private theatricals.  Another version of Ruffin’s Court - I invite your attention to a little court in Princess Street, which has been honoured with the name Ruffins Court. Who was “Ruffins?”  Those who do not know should be told that it was in this unpretending court that there lived Ruffin the sexton of “old St. Martin’s graveyard” over the way who about the date of the battle of Waterloo had a chat with Byron there concerning Churchill’s grave and the poet afterwards put the conversation between them into verse

Rugby Road - This short passage connecting Manor Road to Folkestone Road was named at the suggestion of a resident who formerly lived at Rugby.

Ruskin Terrace - Another of the streets in “poets corner” on the post-war Buckland estate.

Russell Street - Was built in 1831 when the Reform Bill was proposed by Lord John Russell and was the talk of the country.  This street was built in 1831.  It was planned to run further towards the sea.