Coastal Revival Fund supports three heritage projects

Three heritage projects in the Dover district secured a total of £93,400 from the Coastal Revival Fund which is designed to help communities to start the work to bring back into use historic buildings. Two projects submitted by Dover District Council received a total of £45,000, whilst a third project submitted by the Land Trust secured £48,400.

The Maison Dieu received £39,000 for feasibility works to restore and revive the historic Dover Town Hall which is Grade II listed and a scheduled ancient monument. The Maison Dieu includes three major medieval structures, the Stone Hall, a Chapel, and a Tower which formed part of the medieval hospital of St Martin. Further buildings were added in the late 19th century, including the Connaught Hall, designed by the notable Victorian architect, William Burges.

The feasibility works will form part of a future funding bid for the restoration, to improve access and reconfigure spaces to create a more useable building.

Another of Dover's hidden heritage assets to receive funding was Fort Burgoyne. Now owned by the Land Trust charity, Fort Burgoyne was built in the 1860s to protect Dover Castle as one of the so-called Palmerston Forts built under a plan to defend the south coast. It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument. The site saw military service throughout the First and Second World Wars and was in military hands until the closure of Connaught Barracks in 2006. The Land Trust took on the site from the Homes and Communities Agency in 2014.

The feasibility works will support the long term aim to open the site to the public for the first time, building on Dover's wide range of coastal defence heritage attractions, and enabling local people and visitors to learn about this fascinating building at its place in Dover's history.

A project to revive green open spaces along the route of the former medieval town walls and earth works in Sandwich received £6,000 from the Coastal Revival Fund. Sandwich is the most complete medieval town in the UK with its town walls and Great Bulwark classed as Scheduled Ancient Monuments and dating back to 1384. Two of the gates, The Barbican and Fishers Gate, are still in existence today.

Cllr Keith Morris, portfolio holder for tourism at Dover District Council, said: "The Dover district has a rich tapestry of heritage assets. I am delighted these three projects have been recognised by the Coastal Revival Fund as part of our plans to create a sustainable future for our hidden heritage. With the fund over-subscribed three times, this is an excellent start for the Coastal Community Teams in both Dover and Deal and Sandwich who are working on plans to access further funding from the Coastal Communities Fund."

Iain Taylor, Director of Business Development for the Land Trust, said: "We're absolutely delighted to have received this grant from the Coastal Revival Fund.

"The Land Trust is a charity focused on providing sustainable long-term solutions for land and delivering fantastic projects, such as Fort Burgoyne, that seek to unlock benefits for local people. This funding provides a real boost for these aims and aspirations."