Heritage Grants
Saints, sinners, mayors and monarchs; the Maison Dieu has hosted them all since its founding in around 1200 as a place of hospitality for poor pilgrims.
It’s also been a victualling yard for the Royal Navy, supplying ship’s biscuit, salt meat and beer, as well as Dover Town Hall and a much-loved events venue.
It is the only civic commission in the world by the architect William Burges, who restored and extended it in the 1800s, and the only building in England to retain his decoration, furniture and fittings.
With a £5.3million Heritage Fund grant, the Maison Dieu is currently being transformed into a resilient cultural venue, open to the community on a permanent basis for the first time, within new a heritage quarter, driving Dover’s regeneration.
Accessible visits
The project is partnering with people with disabilities and special educational needs to develop accessible visits and resources. These include a social story to go on the website, a multi-sensory trail and a tactile tour.
Stories of people with disabilities associated with the building, from medieval pilgrims to its Victorian architect Ambrose Poynter who went blind, have been researched and will form part of the new interpretation.
Other community engagement activities include:
- object investigation and memory sharing activities for people with dementia and their carers
- photography skills training for 16 to 25-year-olds, including those not in education or employment
- tours and activities inspired by the building's dragons and other fantastical creatures, created with special educational needs families across Kent
