In researching for a novel set in the reign of Richard II, it’s inevitable that I’ve encountered Chaucer and the pilgrim route along the road from London to Canterbury and Dover. And not only pilgrims, but travellers of all kinds, including those going to and from the Continent.
In these days of the internet it’s possible to find all sorts of information, and this is how I happened upon the Maison Dieu at Ospringe. It was clearly a much-used hospital/hostelry on this important route, and was used by all, from royalty to the lowliest pilgrims.
If you go to this link https://www.exploringgb.co.uk/blog/maison-dieu-kent-commissioned-by-henry-iii-in-1234 you will read all about this venerable building, which dates from the 13th-century reign of Henry III and still stands to this day. It’s open in summer months, so we can all see inside. There is more about the building and Ospringe itself here Parishes: Ospringe | British History Online (british-history.ac.uk) , here https://favershamsociety.org/maison-dieu/ and here Maison Dieu, Faversham – Wikipedia.
The images below are from my own files and I’m afraid I neglected to record the sources.
The New Murrey and Blue blog 
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