Museums · South East England
Maison Dieu, Faversham
In or near Whitehill.
Maison Dieu ('House of God') is a hospital, monastery, hostel, retirement home and royal lodge commissioned by Henry III in 1234. The timber framed building is located beside Watling Street, now the A
pam fray — CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 1.5 h–3 h
- Best time of year
- Year-round
- Nearest railway station
- Faversham · 1.2 km
- Family-friendly
- Limited wheelchair access
Getting there & planning your visit
To visit Maison Dieu in Faversham, the nearest railway station is Faversham, located 1.2 km away. The postcode for sat-nav is ME13 8TR. Please note that wheelchair accessibility is limited.
About
Maison Dieu ('House of God') is a hospital, monastery, hostel, retirement home and royal lodge commissioned by Henry III in 1234. The timber framed building is located beside Watling Street, now the A2 road, in Ospringe, Faversham, in Kent, England. Edward Hasted noted in 1798 that it was dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The foundation consisted of a master and three regular brethren of the Order of the Holy Cross. There were also two secular clerks, who celebrated mass for the soul of the founder and the souls of his royal predecessors and successors. They were required to be hospitable, and to entertain the poor and needy passers-by and pilgrims (heading along Watling Street). There was a chamber in the building which the king used to rest when he passed this way; it was called Camera Regis, or the king's chamber. The history and records of the building also give insight into the way sick and disabled people fitted into society during the medieval period. For example, in 1235 the 'blind daughter of Andrew of Faversham' was admitted to Maison Dieu as a 'servant of God and sister of the hospital'.
Photo gallery
360° viewimagery from 2021
Imagery © Mapillary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0
Protected designations
- Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: Kent Downs
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Maison Dieu ('House of God') is a hospital, monastery, hostel, retirement home and royal lodge commissioned by Henry III in 1234. The timber framed building is located beside Watling Street, now the A2 road, in Ospringe, Faversham, in Kent, England. Edward Hasted noted in 1798 that it was dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The foundation consisted of a master and three regular brethren of the Order of the Holy Cross. There were also two secular clerks, who celebrated mass for the soul of the founder and the souls of his royal predecessors and successors. They were required to be hospitable, and to entertain the poor and needy passers-by and pilgrims (heading along Watling Street). There was a chamber in the building which the king used to rest when he passed this way; it was called Camera Regis, or the king's chamber. The history and records of the building also give insight into the way sick and disabled people fitted into society during the medieval period. For example, in 1235 the 'blind daughter of Andrew of Faversham' was admitted to Maison Dieu as a 'servant of God and sister of the hospital'.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
The Faversham Society have many historic images of the Maison Dieu as part of their archives. In the image from the 1890s the original building can be seen. In 1900 the lower portion of the building was converted into a shop. Original images can be seen in the Faversham Society Museum Archive.
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 51.3115, 0.8735
- County
- Kent
- District
- Swale
- Parish
- Faversham
- Postcode
- ME13 8TR
- Parliamentary constituency
- Faversham and Mid Kent
- Established
- 1234
- Nearest railway station
- Faversham — 1.2 km
Sources
- wikipedia: Maison Dieu, Faversham (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Maison Dieu, Faversham?
- Maison Dieu, Faversham is in Kent, South-East England, United Kingdom (postcode ME13 8TR), in the parish of Faversham.
- What is Maison Dieu, Faversham?
- Maison Dieu ('House of God') is a hospital, monastery, hostel, retirement home and royal lodge commissioned by Henry III in 1234. The timber framed building is located beside Watling Street, now the A
- How do I get to Maison Dieu, Faversham?
- The nearest railway station is Faversham, about 1.2 km away. Drivers can use postcode ME13 8TR.
- When was Maison Dieu, Faversham built?
- Built or established in 1234.
- Who owns Maison Dieu, Faversham?
- Maison Dieu, Faversham is owned by English Heritage.
- Is Maison Dieu, Faversham a protected site?
- Yes — Maison Dieu, Faversham is part of the Kent Downs National Landscape (AONB).
- How do I get to Maison Dieu, Faversham?
- The nearest railway station is Faversham, about 1.2 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode ME13 8TR.