Maison Dieu (Dover Town Hall)

Dover's Grade I listed town hall was founded by Hubert de Burgh, Constable of Dover Castle, Earl of Kent and Justiciar of England, in 1203 to provide hospitality for pilgrims travelling to the shrine of Thomas Becket at Canterbury, and for the care of wounded and destitute soldiers. In the eight centuries since, the hall has fulfilled many and diverse functions - from military store to council chamber, gaol to concert hall and from 1949 to 1989 it housed Dover Museum. Steeped in history, the Maison Dieu houses an impressive collection of arms and armour, fine paintings, stained-glass windows and breathtaking examples of work by the prominent Victorian architects Ambrose Poynter and William Burges. The famous Zeebrugge Bell, given to Dover by the King of the Belgians in 1918 to commemorate the First World War Zeebrugge Raid, hangs outside. A two-year programme of conservation and restoration work comes to an end in late 2024/early 2025 and visitors will once again be welcomed into 'the house of god' in spring 2025.