Rediscovering Burges’ Masterpieces: The Restoration of Maison Dieu’s Interiors
The Grade I Listed Maison Dieu (Dover Town Hall) is undergoing a £10.5m restoration, funded by a £4.27m grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Originally founded over 800 years ago as a refuge for poor pilgrims, the building later served as a victualling yard for the Royal Navy and has been Dover’s Town Hall since the late 1830s.
The restoration project, known as the "Reawakening of Dover’s Maison Dieu," aims to preserve the historic building while reviving its decorative schemes, originally designed by the renowned Victorian neo-Gothic architect, William Burges. The project includes restoring the interiors, recreating internationally significant designs, and adding a new street-level visitor entrance to the Connaught Hall, improving access throughout the building.
Additionally, the restoration will bring redundant spaces back into use, including transforming the Mayor’s Parlour into a holiday let in partnership with The Landmark Trust. Once completed, the Maison Dieu will be open to the public for the first time in its 800-year history and will contribute to the creation of a new heritage quarter in Dover town centre.
Architectural paint research, carried out between 2016 and 2021, revealed that much of the building’s significant nineteenth-century decoration remains beneath layers of overpaint, offering an exciting opportunity to rediscover its historical grandeur.
