Chandos Mausoleum facts for kids
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The Chandos Mausoleum is a special building from the early 1700s. It was designed by a famous architect named James Gibbs. This beautiful building is looked after by the Churches Conservation Trust.
You can find the mausoleum attached to the north side of St Lawrence Whitchurch church. This church is in the London Borough of Harrow, England. Both the church and the mausoleum are very important. They are listed as a Grade I building, which means they are historically significant.
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Building the Chandos Mausoleum
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The Chandos Mausoleum was built to be the final resting place for the Dukes of Chandos. It was a special burial place for their family.
The church and mausoleum are located in Canons Park. This park was once a large estate owned by James Brydges. He later became the 1st Duke of Chandos.
Who Built It?
Duke James Brydges rebuilt the main house on his estate, called Cannons. He hired James Gibbs, the same architect who designed the mausoleum, to help with the house.
The Duke also rebuilt the church, which was an old medieval building. Another architect, John James, designed the new church. The church opened again in 1716.
The mausoleum was added later, in 1735. This was the same year the Duke's second wife passed away.
Inside the Mausoleum: Art and Style
The inside of the mausoleum is very decorative, just like the church. It has amazing wall-paintings. These paintings use a special trick called trompe-l'œil. This means they make flat surfaces look like they have depth or real objects.
Painted Ceilings
The ceiling of the mausoleum is painted to look like a smaller version of the dome of the Pantheon, Rome. The style of the art is called Rococo. This style is usually light and playful. Even so, you can still see images of skulls, which were common in mausoleums.
The main artist for the mausoleum's paintings was Gaetano Brunetti. Some people also believe that Francesco Sleter helped with the artwork.
Family Memorials
The mausoleum holds memorials for different members of the Chandos family. These memorials are like special sculptures or plaques that remember people.
The 1st Duke's Monument
On the west wall, there is a large sculpture for the 1st Duke. This monument was originally inside the church. It was ordered from a famous sculptor named Grinling Gibbons.
The Duke is shown wearing a wig and dressed like an old Roman citizen. On either side of him are kneeling figures of two of his wives. Their names were Mary Lake and Cassandra Willoughby.
Other Family Monuments
There are two more memorials on the south wall. One is a black stone coffin, called a sarcophagus. It stands against a white pyramid shape. This memorial is for Lady Mary Bruce. She was the first wife of the future 2nd Duke of Chandos. She died in 1738. This monument was designed by Sir Henry Cheere.
The other memorial is a white sarcophagus. It is for Margaret, the first wife of the future 3rd Duke of Chandos. She passed away in 1760.
Visiting the Mausoleum
The church is still an active Anglican parish church. The mausoleum itself is looked after by the Churches Conservation Trust. You can usually visit the mausoleum on Sundays.
