Specialist from Arte Conservation reinstating William Burges’ decorative scheme in the Connaught Hall
Dover’s historic Maison Dieu is taking part in this year’s Heritage Open Days with a free drop-in activity and no need to book in advance.
Although the building isn’t open yet, the team will be in Maison Dieu House and Biggin Hall in Dover on Saturday 7 September, from 11am to 4pm, and look forward to welcoming visitors through the day.
Residents can meet the talented conservators who have spent months painstakingly bringing this beautiful historic building back to life for the community to enjoy.
Arte Conservation specialists will share some of the techniques they have used to reinstate William Burges’ decorative scheme in the Connaught Hall and Mayor’s Parlour.
Expert stained-glass conservators from Easthope Stained Glass, who cleaned and conserved the building’s impressive stained-glass windows, will be on hand to explain how carefully they had to manage the glass to keep it safe.
Rebecca Gregg, an oil paintings’ conservator and a regular participant in BBC1’s Fake or Fortune, will be there on the day ready to share some fascinating facts and stories about the Maison Dieu portraits.
Stonemason Carrie Horwood, of Cats Eye Carving, will be sharing how she skilfully carves the stone to produce her eye-catching work. Carrie will invite guests to try out the ancient art of stone carving for themselves and will highlight the grotesques of the Maison Dieu.
Visitors will also be able to:
- see the William Burges lion-headed chair in close-up detail and find out how it was cleaned and conserved from the dedicated team of furniture conservation volunteers;
- watch film and time-lapse footage of conservation in action including work to conserve the Maison Dieu’s regimental colours;
- stencil their own decorative dragon, parrot or flower detail; and
- find out how to join the Friends of the Maison Dieu.
Notes to editors
Meet the Conservators has been developed in partnership with Arte Conservation, Easthope Stained Glass, Rebecca Gregg Conservation and Cats Eye Carving as part of the Reawakening the Maison Dieu National Lottery Heritage Fund project to transform and make accessible this Grade I listed building.
The event forms part of the Dover district’s impressive contribution to the UK-wide Heritage Open Days programme (Britain’s largest festival of history and culture) with over 50 sites opening to the public for free between 6 and 15 September (www.heritageopendays.org.uk)
The Maison Dieu is also offering an online webinar as part of the Heritage Open Days Animals of the Maison Zoo takes place on 12 September (pre-booking required).
The £10.5m reawakening of the Grade I Listed Maison Dieu sees the restoration of internationally significant decorative schemes by the renowned Victorian neo-Gothic architect, William Burges, and a new street-level visitor entrance to the Connaught Hall, along with improved access throughout the building.
The project creates a sustainable future for the Maison Dieu by bringing redundant spaces back into commercial use, including restoring the Mayor’s Parlour as a holiday let in conjunction with the Landmark Trust, and a unique new café in the space once occupied by Victorian gaol cells.
Once complete in 2025, the Maison Dieu will be permanently open to the public for the first time in its 800-year history.
Project funders/partners include the National Lottery Heritage Fund, The Wolfson Foundation, The Landmark Trust, Dover District Council, Dover Town Council, and the Dover Society.
Posted on 27 August 2024