An intricately carved lion, created by stone mason Carrie Horwood of Cats Eye Carving as part of the Re-awakening the Maison Dieu activity programme was unveiled on Wed 19 July 2023 at St Mary's Parish Church, Dover.

Dover Youth Theatre actors Angelo Jenu (left) and Bertie Lawson-Macgregor (right) unveiled the finished carving alongside stone mason Carrie Horwood (centre). Angelo and Bertie had just finished a highly successful premiere of Pilgrims Pathway - a Maison Dieu time-travel adventure led by a grotesque called Geraldine - playing to a packed house of nearly 200 people.

Also photographed with the lion and Carrie were special guests Councillor Gordon Cowan, Chairman of Dover District Council and Councillor Susan Jones, the Mayor of Dover.

The beastie is a two-thirds size copy of one of the animal grotesques that guard the doors of the medieval Stone Hall at the Maison Dieu (Dover Town Hall).

Grotesques are images of humans or animals carved in stone. They were popular additions to medieval buildings including churches, castles and cathedrals. Some were fearsome, ugly or scary creatures (hence their name) and were designed to ward off evil spirits. But others including our example are much more friendly.

The grotesques in the Stone Hall were designed by Neo-gothic art architect and designer William Burges, who restored this impressive space in 1860, completing the work of Dover architect Ambrose Poynter who'd begun to lose his sight.

The new lion grotesque has emerged gradually from a block of French limestone at a series of public engagement events over the last 2 months, including at Dover's Family-friendly Pilgrim Trail in Dover Market Square; at the White Mill; at Sandwich Medieval Centre; at Sir Roger Manwood School; and Staple Village Fair.

It’s carved from Lepine limestone, excavated from a quarry near Poitiers. This was once part of a prehistoric seabed and is full of tiny fossil shells. It dates from the Jurassic period (145 to 201 million years ago) when dinosaurs like Tyrannosaurus Rex roamed the earth. Lepine has a very close grain, which makes it ideal for carving.

Nearly 2000 people have seen Carrie at work, chatted to her about stone-carving, learnt about the Maison Dieu project, and shared personal memories of the building.

Hundreds more (children aged 8 plus and adults) have had a go at stone carving, chiselling out their initials or a simple design into smaller blocks of stone, or created a rubbing of a Maison Dieu wyvern dragon (all ages). Several have expressed an interest in taking up stone carving as a hobby after taking part.

Carrie has spent about 200 hours designing and making the grotesque, assisted by numerous volunteers including her mum and partner Ed. Maison Dieu volunteers have also helped out too, including Canterbury Christ Church University student Chad Gazi, who assisted Carrie as part of his Applied Humanities placement.

Carrie commented:
Stonemasonry is generally in-accessible, and I’m so proud and honoured to bring it to everyone, and to give people a chance to have a go. I’m also excited to be part of the history and future of the Maison Dieu. I moved away to train 24 years ago, so to be able to bring my skills back to Kent is truly wonderful.

Maison Dieu Engagement Officer Martin Crowther commented:
We are delighted with Carrie’s wonderful beastie. She’s been a great ambassador for the Maison Dieu and thousands of local people have enjoyed seeing her at work, with many also trying out a new skill or learning more about our exciting project.

The tactile lion, which is designed to be touched by members of the public, will form part of a new sensory tour of the Maison Dieu when it re-opens in spring 2025. It will be particularly relevant for blind and partially sighted people and will have its own audio description.

Accompanying the lion is a slate rubbing of a wyvern or two-legged dragon. Also created by Carrie Horwood, it's a copy of the Maison Dieu logo, inspired by a Burges detail in the Mayor's Parlour.

However, a controversy remains. Is the beastie really a lion? The majority of people seem to think so, their confidence buoyed by the creature's fulsome mane. But others, including Carrie are less certain, thinking perhaps it might be a dog! What do you think? Whether a lion, dog or lion-dog, one thing is certain. The beastie promises to be a popular addition to one of Dover's most historic and iconic buildings.