Our Story

The Reawakening

The Reawakening of the Maison Dieu has been in the planning since 2014. Dover District Council, Dover Town Council and The Dover Society came together to look at how to breathe new life into this wonderful Grade I listed building, which was running at a loss and needed significant repairs.

An outline business case was prepared to look at how to bring the building back to life. with a huge amount of input and support from the local community.

A ‘Statement of Significance’ was also prepared to help identify the most important parts of the building, and to establish whether changes could be made. An application was consequently made to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for grant funding. This would support a comprehensive project to repair the building, improve access and use, and support the regeneration of Dover.

A huge amount of research, design development and public consultation followed to develop future proposals for the building. In October 2020, the project was awarded a large grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to undertake repairs and to breathe new life into the building. The three project partners also provided funding, and a grant was secured from The Wolfson Foundation to support the interpretation of the Maison Dieu.

The project partners and professional team then set to work securing Planning Permission, Listed Building Consent and Scheduled Monument Consent for the works. The design team was led by Haverstock Architects working with specialist conservation architect, Rena Pitsilli Graham, the team also included D.R. Nolans as quantity surveyor, The Morton Partnership as structural engineers and Martin Thomas Associates as mechanical and electrical engineers, alongside many other specialists. The works to the building were managed by Artelia and the overall project managed by Ingham Pinnock Associates.

In 2021, Coniston were appointed as main contractor to undertake the works and deliver the scheme. Works to the building completed in early 2025, and Dover Town Hall reopened in May 2025.

Working alongside the dedicated team at Dover District Council and the project partners, over 200 specialists have worked on the Maison Dieu, from archaeologists and paint conservators to stained glass window experts and stone masons. Some were so excited to have worked on the project, they even got tattoos of one of the symbols in the Connaught Hall!

A dedicated volunteering team of over 100 people from a variety of backgrounds has been key to the project. They have worked tirelessly to clean paintings, conserve furniture, research stories creating content for new interpretation, plan and deliver events, give talks, document the project through photography, lead guided tours and lots more.

Maison Dieu Connaught Hall set up for event

The project helped to deliver:

A raft of repairs to ensure the building is watertight and will stand for many years to come.
A new, accessible entrance.
The introduction of new uses into redundant spaces, such as the self-catering let in the Mayor’s Parlour and a bistro (watch this space!) in the Old Gaol.
The reinstatement of the incredible Burges neo-gothic interior by Arte Conservation.
Conserved stained glass windows by Easthope Conservation.
A conserved collection of furniture and paintings by Bainbridge Conservation and Rebecca Gregg.
Conserved Regimental Colours by Sarah Glenn, and arms and armour by the team from the Royal Armouries.
A new interpretation scheme designed by Designmap and implemented by Workhaus.
A new catering kitchen and servery to enable the Maison Dieu team to deliver events and activities via catering partners such as Tayberry Catering.
Training and support for young people with skills and career development

Engagement Work

An incredible engagement programme has seen over 75,000 people involved with the project to date, engaging in a wide range of exciting activities, both at the Maison Dieu and as part of a busy outreach programme in Dover and across East Kent, inspired by the building and its heritage.

Over 400 events have already taken place, including over 150 public events, 100 building tours, 70 talks, 50 school visits, 10 exhibitions, participation in 10 academic conferences and study days, careers’ days and events sharing good practice with arts and heritage sector professionals.

Opportunities for the local community to get involved have ranged from community archaeology and high-level tours to conservation in action workshops, school and community group visits, photography skills workshops with local young people and Dover-wide events with local community partners to celebrate Maison Dieu and Dover’s culture and heritage, such as Dover at Night and Heritage Open Days. See What's On for more information.

We are delighted that the building is now open daily, for free, for the first time in its 800-year history, and that it’s the beating heart of Dover once more. Over 10,000 people have visited the building in its first four months of opening, and we cannot wait to welcome more!

The General History

The Maison Dieu was founded more than 800 years ago as a place for poor pilgrims to stay the night. It later became a victualling yard, making ship’s biscuit and beer for the Royal Navy.

Since the late 1830s, it has been Dover’s Town Hall and a popular events venue.

Medieval Pilgrim Hospital

The Maison Dieu (House of God) was founded by Hubert de Burgh in about 1200.

Poor pilgrims were given bed and board for the night on their way to the shrine of St Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral.

It was run by a Master and a small group of lay brothers and sisters, who cared for the pilgrims and roughly followed the rules of the Augustinian order of monks (Whitefriars). The pilgrims, most of whom had travelled from abroad, slept in a large infirmary hall, probably on straw mattresses. A typical pilgrim meal was a bowl of vegetable stew (called pottage) with bread, washed down with weak beer.

The original pilgrim infirmary, on the site of the Connaught Hall, no longer survives.

However, archaeological finds and building details revealed during renovations and archaeological digs between 2021 and 2024, have added significantly to our knowledge of this period of the building’s history.

Hubert de Burgh

Hubert de Burgh was an important man, holding the position of Justiciar (roughly equivalent to Prime Minister today) as well as Earl of Kent, Constable of Dover Castle and Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports.

As King John’s right-hand man, he successfully defended Dover Castle in a siege by the French in 1216 (depicted in a magnificent stained-glass window in the Stone Hall) and defeated them at sea in the Battle of Sandwich the following year.

The Stone Hall

The magnificent Stone Hall was built in the 1290s. It was designed to impress with a lofty ceiling and windows. Monarchs used it as a meeting place, and the royal household was lodged here when the King was at Dover Castle.

Wounded soldiers and pensioners

Wounded and destitute soldiers were accommodated at the Maison Dieu, and permanent pensioner residents (called corrodians) also lived here towards the end of the medieval period.

The end of the pilgrim hospital

When King Henry VIII made England a Protestant country at the Reformation, monasteries, pilgrimage, and the veneration of saints were banned.

The shrine of Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral was destroyed, and the role of the Maison Dieu as a pilgrim hospital came to a sudden end.

The Victualling Yard

The Maison Dieu soon began a new chapter in its history as a victualling yard, supplying ships’ biscuit, salt beef and pork, and beer to the Royal Navy.

It continued in this role for nearly 300 years, from before the time of the Spanish Armada until after the Battle of Trafalgar. It was the smallest of the Royal Navy’s five victualling yards in England, the others being in London, Deptford, Portsmouth and Plymouth.

The yard had its own mill, bakehouse, slaughterhouse and cooperage, where barrels were made to store the provisions. These buildings can be seen in a detailed plan drawn up by Thomas Tunbridge and John Chapman in 1673, which put the cost of repairing the yard at £251.

The whole operation was overseen by the Agent Victualler, who, from 1665, lived in a fine brick house next door. Today, this is called Maison Dieu House and is the home of Dover Town Council.

Victorian improvements to the Stone Hall

Between 1834 and 1836, Stone Hall was re-roofed, its floor raised three metres and prison cells inserted beneath. It became an impressive entrance hall to a new courtroom that was built in the former medieval chapel.

In the late 1850s, further improvements were made by architect Ambrose Poynter. This included a new High Street entrance and the addition of an impressive stained-glass window at the west end. Designed by William Wailes of Newcastle, this featured Maison Dieu founder Hubert de Burgh as the central figure, flanked by kings linked with the building.

By 1860, Poynter’s eyesight was fading, and William Burges was appointed to complete the work. This included a new roof and gallery, medieval-style carvings of grotesque animals, and coats of arms of the Lord Wardens of the Cinque Ports.

His improvements came in well above the agreed budget and there were heated discussions before the council paid up!

The stained-glass windows

More than 60 small pieces of stained glass, including flower and foliage designs, were discovered during a community dig outside the Stone Hall in 2022. Dating from the late 1200s, these are almost certainly fragments of the original medieval windows.

At the Reformation under Henry VIII, these windows, which likely also contained images of saints, were removed and the openings blocked in with brick and stone to strengthen the building, which was converted to a three-floor bakery and storehouse.

As part of the 19th-century restoration, six stained-glass windows were added between 1860 and 1873. Ambrose Poynter’s son, Edward John Poynter, designed them as one of his first commissions, based on scenes from Dover history. He went on to become a famous artist and the President of the Royal Academy.

They include the relief of Dover Castle from the French in 1216, the granting of the charter of the Maison Dieu by Henry III in 1227 and Henry VIII on board ship at Dover on his way to meet the French King Francis I at an elaborate tournament - The Field of Cloth of Gold in 1520.

The Council Chamber

A prestigious new council chamber was added to the building in the 1860s in a neo-Gothic style.

Flashman’s, a local furniture maker, won the contract for the desks and oak chairs. The Mayor’s Chair is a particularly fine example.

The stained-glass windows, depicting kings and noblemen, were designed by Horatio Walter Lonsdale (William Burges’ chief designer) between 1884 and 1892.

The rare sun-burner in the middle of the ceiling was an early form of air conditioning, helping circulate fresh air by means of convection.

Pictures on display include a 19th-century portrait of St Martin, Patron Saint of Dover, dividing his cloak with a beggar. This is a fine copy of an oil painting by Anthony Van Dyck at Windsor Castle. Recent research has revealed it was painted by a Lady of Dover.

It’s likely the royal portraits of Queen Anne, Charles II and George I originally hung in the council’s original medieval meeting hall in the Market Square.

The Cinque Ports banner dates from 1632, the last of many made from at least the 13th century. It was carried annually at the Yarmouth Herring Fair. The fair lasted 40 days from 29 September to 11 November (when vast quantities of herring were caught off Yarmouth) and was one of the most important international trading fairs in the medieval world.

From the 11th to the mid-18th century, control of this fair was the responsibility of the Cinque Ports, one of their privileges for providing fighting ships for the King. Cinque Ports men were also allowed to land and sell their catch without charge.

This caused resentment with the people of Yarmouth. Disputes and violence were common, most notably in 1297 when fighting broke out at sea as they accompanied King Edward I to Flanders. Some 171 Yarmouth men were killed by the Cinque Ports men, and 37 ships were lost.

The Courtroom and Prison cells

This room was originally the medieval chapel. The top of the 13th-century arch is the oldest part of the Maison Dieu surviving above ground.

Pilgrims attended regular services here, conducted in Latin by a priest, or came quietly to pray for their souls or recovery from illness.

The chapel would have been richly decorated with colourful textiles, religious statues and stained-glass and filled with the fragrant smell of incense and beeswax candles.

The remains of the chapel were converted into a magistrates’ court in 1834, which continued in use until 1978.

When the courtroom was built, the floor was raised three metres so prison cells could be included below.

Prisoners were brought into the dock by stairs from the cells below. The hatchway still survives under the carpet. This arrangement gave rise to the expression “Send him (or her) down!” when guilty prisoners were sent down to the cells to begin their sentence.

Sentences could be severe in Victorian times. In 1843, William Harris was sentenced to seven years' transportation to Australia for stealing two silver forks and a pair of shoes from the Ship Hotel. Children were imprisoned too and given hard labour.

The 1868 prison included a treadwheel where prisoners sentenced to hard labour turned a giant wheel with their feet for hours on end.

Terry Sutton (MBE), a former journalist with the Dover Express, covered many trials here. He first attended as a ‘cub’ reporter in 1949 at the age of 20. Like many fellow hacks, he carved his name into the press bench! The names of female reporters who trail-blazed a path in journalism from the 1960s to the 1980s are carved here, too.

Terry covered exciting trials such as diamond smuggling, and some very sad ones, including the inquests into the 193 people who died in the Herald of Free Enterprise ferry disaster in 1987. Due to the large number of people attending, this inquest was held in the adjacent Connaught Hall and attracted international coverage.

Mayor’s Parlour

This impressive room is where the Mayor of Dover held meetings and changed into ceremonial robes for civic functions. It was designed by William Burges and his team in the neo-Gothic style and was completed in 1883, two years after he died.

Conservators from Hirst Conservation and Hare and Humphreys uncovered Burges’ original decorative scheme in small patches beneath modern paint layers.

In 2024, a team of wall paintings conservators from Arte Conservation completed painstaking work to conserve the original centre panel of the Mayor’s Parlour ceiling, and to reinstate his decorative scheme throughout the whole space and adjacent rooms.

The designs include a painted ceiling with stencilled birds and flowers. Animals around the walls include wyverns (two-legged dragons), parrots and butterflies.

There are also several empty painted niches, which it seems originally included representations of The Virtues, encouraging the Mayor to uphold the highest standards in office. The four classic civic virtues were justice, wisdom, courage and temperance.

William Burges also designed the civic furniture, including a monumental circular table, carved from American walnut and 18 chairs with carved lion heads on the arms. Embedded in the table is a jagged piece of World War 2 shrapnel, a fragment of a cross-Channel shell that crashed through every floor of the fire station opposite.

Connaught Hall

The Connaught Hall (named after the Duke and Duchess of Connaught) was built as an assembly room and opened in 1883. The duke was the third son of Queen Victoria.

This impressive space has been used for a wide variety of activities, from dances and concerts to election counts, beer festivals and wrestling. The first event in the hall was a Grand Banquet. It is still an important events venue today.

Its stand-out feature is the recently reinstated ceiling.

The room is the work of William Burges, who by the late 1870s was an eminent architect and designer. His most famous buildings are Cardiff Castle and Castell Coch, which he restored in the neo-Gothic style for the third Marquis of Bute.

The original decorative scheme, discovered under layers of modern paint, was reinstated in 2024 by a dedicated team of wall painting specialists from Arte Conservation.

The intricate, stencilled design includes gilded flowers, birds and dragons.

Sadly, Burges died two years before the hall opened. His scheme was completed by his business partner Richard Pullan.

In 1899, Guglielmo Marconi’s wireless (radio) technology was successfully demonstrated in front of a packed audience in the Connaught Hall, with the first two-way Cross-Channel radio message transmitted to France via a tall mast erected on the Maison Dieu’s medieval tower.

More recently, it’s been the venue for the first Dover Pride and a zombie music video. It once seated over 1,000 people, with 500 more on the balconies, a number which modern fire regulations no longer allow.

At the front of the hall (now hidden by the organ, which was installed in 1902) was a large, Gothic arch and a small balcony, from which the Mayor of Dover addressed the audience.

The two rare sun-burners in the ceiling were an early form of air conditioning, helping circulate fresh air by means of convection.

The stained-glass windows were designed by Horatio Walter Lonsdale, Burges’s chief designer. They commemorate medieval Constables of Dover Castle.