William Burges and the Maison Dieu: Reawakening a Gothic Fantasy

The Maison Dieu is hosting an

exciting conference on Friday 25 September 2026, exploring the life

and work of William Burges (1827-1881), the talented and eccentric

Neo-gothic architect and designer, who together with contemporaries

such as Augustus Pugin was at the heart of the Victorian Gothic

Revival.

Burges played a major role in

the restoration and extension of the Maison Dieu (Dover Town Hall),

as well as completing impressive schemes elsewhere in the UK and

abroad.

Conference

content The

conference will introduce William Burges and his work, before

focusing on recent conservation work at the Maison Dieu, including

the reinstatement of the William Burges decorative scheme in the

Connaught Hall and Mayor’s Parlour, as well as the painstaking

conservation of its impressive stained-glass windows and historic

furniture.

Participants will enjoy short

talks, practical demonstrations and building tours, from

conservators, historians, archivists and architects, including

several who hav