Dover's Gothic Revival: the Mayor's Parlour Open Days

Join us at the Mayor's Parlour, Maison Dieu, the latest project by The Landmark Trust. The Mayor’s Parlour is located inside Dover’s revived Medieval town hall known as Maison Dieu. Following a multi-million pound restoration, Maison Dieu is now a vibrant visitor attraction and cultural hub for Dover. The Mayor's Parlour inside Dover's ancient Town Hall, the Maison Dieu, was conceived by architect and designer William Burges, arch-proponent of the High Victorian Dream at its most dazzling. Entry to Mayor's Parlour and Maison Dieu is free during Heritage Open Days. Information on the building's history and children’s activity sheets will be available. Pre-booking is preferred, but drop-in's on the day are welcome. About the Mayor's Parlour The Maison Dieu (or House of God) began as a place for poor pilgrims to stay the night in about 1200. Most were travelling from across the Channel to visit the shrine of St Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral. After the Reformation, it became a victualling yard for the Royal Navy, making ships' biscuit, salt meat and beer. In the 1830s it became Dover Town Hall, with impressive additions by Victorian Neo-gothic architects Ambrose Poynter, and William Burges. Over the last few years, an ambitious £10.5m project, led by Dover District Council and funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and other partners, has restored the building and brought it back into vibrant use. Working with Dover District Council and architects Haverstock LLP, we are delighted to have brought the Mayor’s Parlour suite of rooms back to life, set in one corner of the upper ground floor with a private staircase to further rooms above. Open Day entry Due to the historic nature of our buildings we have a limited capacity for our Open Day events. You may therefore be asked to wait a short time while other visitors finish their visit. Whilst booking is not essential, priority will be given to those who have booked in advance. Thank you for your co-operation. Getting here Address: Maison Dieu, Biggin Street, Dover, CT16 1DL There is no parking at this Landmark. There is no parking at this Landmark. Visitor parking is available at the Ladywell, Norman Street and Maison Dieu pay and display public car parks. All are within 200 metres of the building along level footpaths. By train: Dover Priory railway station is just under half a mile from the Maison Dieu. By bus: The local buses are run by Stagecoach, www.stagecoach.com, and there is a stop in Ladywell Street. Please note, 'Maison Dieu Guest House' nearby should not be confused with the Mayor's Parlour at Maison Dieu and is not connected to this event. Accessibility Most of the Maison Dieu is accessible however, regrettably there is no wheelchair access to the Mayor's Parlour, due to the narrowness of the historic door openings which are part of its listed building status. Accessible parking: There are four accessible spaces for Blue Badge holders in the Ladywell Car Park, which is only 100 metres from the Maison Dieu (Dover Town Hall) entrance along level pavements. The Mayor's Parlour is set over three floors and there is no lift access in this area of the building. Registered assistance dogs only will be admitted. Public toilet facilities are available in the Maison Dieu. We do all we can to enable access wherever possible; for further information or if you have any access concerns that you’d like to discuss before visiting, please contact our Booking Enquiries team on 01628 825925 or [email protected]. The Booking Office is open Mon to Fri - 9am to 5pm. Donating to The Landmark Trust As a charity, the Landmark Trust relies on donations to support our work. We couldn’t have rescued over 200 Landmarks without the support of people like you. Your support saves historic buildings in danger of being lost forever and makes them available for all to experience and enjoy. Your donation could help train the craftspeople needed to restore buildings like this, or it could offer opportunities to young people to experience history first-hand, through our open days and free stays for study groups.