{"id":28400,"date":"2020-11-28T16:01:24","date_gmt":"2020-11-28T16:01:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsblogsnew.ihbc.org.uk\/?p=28400"},"modified":"2020-11-27T17:15:53","modified_gmt":"2020-11-27T17:15:53","slug":"dovers-maison-dieu-update-secures-4-27m-from-the-national-lottery-heritage-fund","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/?p=28400","title":{"rendered":"Dover’s Maison Dieu update: Secures \u00a34.27M from the National Lottery Heritage Fund"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Plans for an \u00a38m revival of the Grade I Listed Maison Dieu in Dover town centre are set to go ahead in 2021 thanks to a \u00a34.27m grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.<\/h3>\n
image: Dover DC website – Matt Emmett, Forgotten Heritage Photography<\/em><\/h6>\n

<\/p>\n

Dover District Council writes:<\/p>\n

The project will see the restoration of internationally significant decorative schemes by the renowned Victorian neo-Gothic architect, William Burges, a new street-level visitor entrance to the Connaught Hall, along with improved access throughout the building.<\/p>\n

The project creates a sustainable future for the Maison Dieu by bringing redundant spaces back into commercial use, including restoring the Mayor\u2019s Parlour as a holiday let in conjunction with\u00a0The Landmark Trust<\/a>, and a unique new caf\u00e9 in the space once occupied by Victorian gaol cells!<\/p>\n

Once complete in 2023 the Maison Dieu will be permanently open to the public for the first time in its 800-year history and contributing to the creation of a heritage quarter in Dover town centre.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Maison Dieu can trace its history back to the 13th century<\/a>\u00a0when it was founded as a medieval hospital and used by pilgrims journeying from continental Europe to Canterbury Cathedral to visit the shrine of Thomas Becket.<\/p>\n

It saw subsequent use as a naval victualling yard and was extensively remodelled in the 19th century by the prominent Victorian architects Ambrose Poynter and William Burges, including the development of civic offices, court room and gaol, and a concert hall.\u00a0 It is a very rare example of William Burges\u2019 civic work and an important landmark in the Gothic revival style.<\/p>\n

The historic building is owned by Dover District Council which is contributing \u00a33m to the project.\u00a0 Other funders include\u00a0The Wolfson Foundation<\/a>, Dover Town Council, and the Dover Society.<\/p>\n

Planning permission and listed building consent have been granted, and following further detailed research and design work, the restoration starts in September 2021.\u00a0 The Maison Dieu will be closed for two years during the restoration.<\/p>\n

Stuart McLeod, Director London & South at The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said:\u00a0\u201cThanks to money raised by National Lottery players we are delighted to support this project to permanently open the Maison Dieu for the first time, helping to create a new heritage quarter in the town centre.\u00a0 We hope that the people of Dover will enjoy discovering more about the building\u2019s fascinating history and its place in the town\u2019s heritage.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cllr Trevor Bartlett, Leader of Dover District Council, said: \u201cI am absolutely delighted to receive the fantastic news that The National Lottery Heritage Fund has recognised the value of the Maison Dieu as a significant heritage building in Dover town centre.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe town is rich in history and heritage attractions, but no building tells the story of Dover better than the Maison Dieu.<\/p>\n

\u201cOver the past 800 years it\u2019s been adapted to serve new purposes but has always retained strong connections with the local community.\u00a0 But it\u2019s also become more complex to maintain and has been lost in plain sight, particularly to the many tourists who visit the town.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur aim is to revive the Maison Dieu as the centrepiece of a wider regeneration of this part of the town centre where it will be the jewel in the crown, open to the public, and providing an outstanding heritage, cultural and community venue.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr Anna Keay OBE, Director of the Landmark Trust said: \u201cThe Landmark Trust is delighted to be playing a part in the revival of the Maison Dieu. This is a milestone moment for Dover. We look forward to supporting the restoration of this astonishing complex of buildings, and to enabling people to stay in Mayor\u2019s Parlour – and so experience first-hand the outstanding William Burges interiors.\u201d<\/p>\n

Olivia Stockdale, Conservation Advisor with the\u00a0Victorian Society<\/a>, said: \u201cWe are pleased to learn that the Stage Two funding bid for Maison Dieu has been granted. William Burges was one of the leading architects of his day, and this Grade I-listed building is a fantastic example of his work.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe exterior and interior restorations which this funding will enable are therefore entirely positive and will allow for a fuller appreciation of Burges\u2019 design, and we particularly look forward to the uncovering and reinstatement of the bold interior wall painting.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis work will benefit not only the people of Dover but all those with an appreciation of Victorian art and architecture.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more….<\/a><\/p>\n

For background see the NewsBlogs<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Plans for an \u00a38m revival of the Grade I Listed Maison Dieu in Dover town centre are set to go ahead in 2021 thanks to a \u00a34.27m grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. image: Dover DC website – Matt … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28400","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sector-newsblog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28400","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=28400"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28400\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28402,"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28400\/revisions\/28402"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=28400"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=28400"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=28400"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}