Fleur de Lis Museum
Free local history museum of the Faversham Society, telling the story of Faversham from pre-Roman times to the 20th century.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Fleur de Lis Museum is run by the Faversham Society and occupies a group of old buildings at 12 and 13 Preston Street in the centre of Faversham. Entry is free.
The displays follow the town from a settlement on the Creek before the Romans, through Roman farming and building, to 1148, when King Stephen founded an abbey and Faversham became a royal town. Davington Priory and the Maison Dieu made it a stopping point for pilgrims on the way to Canterbury, and surviving timber-framed buildings recall the Elizabethan trading years.
Other rooms cover the industries that shaped the town: hop growing and brewing, coopering, fruit farming, charcoal and explosives manufacture, brickmaking and shipbuilding, from Thames sailing barges to warships built in the Second World War. Dioramas show daily life in wartime and peacetime, shops and local characters, and there is a video history and a reconstructed telephone exchange.
Highlights
- Faversham from pre-Roman settlement to the present day
- Gunpowder, brewing, hop growing and brickmaking history
- Thames sailing barges and the Pollock shipyard
- Dioramas of shops, homes and civic life
- Reconstructed telephone exchange
Permanent exhibitions
- The story of Faversham – Displays take visitors from pre-Roman settlement and the royal abbey to the Elizabethan town and its timber-framed buildings.
- Industries and farming – Hop growing, brewing, brickmaking, explosives and shipbuilding are shown through objects and models.
- Social history – Dioramas of homes, shops, wartime life and notable local people, with a video history and a telephone exchange.
- Founded
- 1977
- Operated by
- The Faversham Society
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Free entry.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: not available
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The ground floor has ramps that suit most wheelchairs. The upper floor is reached by a steep staircase and there is no lift. Only assistance dogs are allowed inside.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Time needed | approx. 1.5 hrs |
|---|
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
The museum describes plenty of things to keep children busy and fun trails to follow.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| School programs | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Allow at least an hour and a half. Teachers and groups can arrange bespoke visits through the Faversham Society. A video virtual tour is available on the Society's website. |
