Kearsney Abbey then and now - the restored Grade II Listed Billiards Room at Kearsney Abbey is available for event hire
Historic Billiards Room opens for hire at Kearsney Abbey in Dover
A Grade II Listed former Billiards Room at one of Kent’s most popular public parks is now available for community, educational and corporate event hire following a major restoration project. The Billiards Room at Kearsney Abbey in Dover has been restored, and a modern café extension and visitor facilities added as part of the £3.1m National Lottery project.
The Billiards Room offers a relaxing and beautiful setting for events with views across the parkland and lake and combines period features with modern facilities. The building is fully accessible, including a Changing Places facility.
The unique space is the only remaining part of a gothic-style manor house built c.1821 as a grand country estate for John Minet Fector, one of Dover’s wealthiest families with interests in trading and banking. It was a later owner, Francis Lyon Barrington, who added the Billiards Room when he modernised the mansion in the 1870s.
The Billiards Room retains its original interior, with oak panelling throughout, a pitch pine vaulted ceiling, and herringbone parquet flooring. Ornamental stained-glass adorns the central ceiling lantern and the south-facing French windows. The roof supports are decorated with the coat of arms of the Barrington family.
The Billiards Room can accommodate up to 40 people and can be set up in a range of seating styles. A range of catering can be provided, including light refreshments, snacks, and buffets.
Plans are also being developed to host small and intimate wedding ceremonies at the venue.
Cllr Trevor Bartlett, Leader of Dover District Council, said: “We’re delighted to formally re-open the magnificent Billiards Room following completion of our £3.1m Lottery funded project to restore and enhance the Kearsney parks.
“Kearsney Abbey and Russell Gardens are among the most popular public parks in the whole of Kent, and now we have a unique new space to host meetings and events, and as a hub for exploring these wonderful parks.”
For more information and prices on hiring the Billiards Room at Kearsney Abbey, please contact Kearsney.Cafe@dover.gov.uk
Notes to editors:
‘Parks for People’ was a joint National Lottery Heritage Fund and National Lottery Community Fund project to restore heritage landscapes and buildings, and enhance the visitor experience at Kearsney Abbey and Russell Gardens in Dover. The aim was to protect this nationally significant heritage and to provide more opportunities for people to visit and be involved with the parks and learn about their history.
(Caption: The Grade II Listed Billiards Room at Kearsney Abbey has been fully restored and is available for event hire)
Posted on 01 March 2023