Chandos Mausoleum facts for kids
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The Chandos Mausoleum is a beautiful old building from the early 1700s. It was designed by a famous architect named James Gibbs. This special 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. The church and its mausoleum are very important. They are listed as a Grade I building, meaning they are historically significant.
History of the Mausoleum
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The Chandos Mausoleum was built to be the final resting place for the Dukes of Chandos and their families. A mausoleum is a building that holds the tombs of important people.
The church and mausoleum are located at the edge of Canons Park. This land was bought by James Brydges, who later became the 1st Duke of Chandos. He rebuilt the main house on the estate, called Cannons. James Gibbs, who designed the mausoleum, was one of his architects for the house.
The Duke also rebuilt the church, which was an old medieval building. The new church was designed by John James and opened in 1716. It first had a small chapel for family memorials. The grand mausoleum was added in 1735. This was the same year the Duke's second wife passed away.
Amazing Decorations Inside
The inside of the mausoleum is very special. It has wall-paintings that create a "trick of the eye" effect, called trompe-l'œil. These paintings make flat surfaces look like they have depth or real objects.
The ceiling is painted to look like a smaller version of the dome from the Pantheon, Rome. The overall style of the decorations is Rococo. This style is known for being light, playful, and fancy. Even though it's playful, you can still see some skull designs.
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 many memorials for members of the Chandos family. On the west wall, there is a large sculpture for the 1st Duke. This monument was originally in the church.
It was ordered from Grinling Gibbons, a famous sculptor. The Duke is shown wearing a wig and dressed like a Roman citizen. On either side of him are kneeling figures of two of his wives, Mary Lake and Cassandra Willoughby.
There are two more memorials on the south wall. One is a black stone coffin, called a sarcophagus, placed against a white pyramid shape. This is for Lady Mary Bruce, who was the first wife of the future 2nd Duke of Chandos. She passed away in 1738. This memorial was designed by Sir Henry Cheere.
The other memorial is a white sarcophagus for Margaret. She was the first wife of the future 3rd Duke of Chandos. She passed away in 1760.
How to Visit
The church itself is an active Anglican parish church. The mausoleum is owned and cared for by the Churches Conservation Trust. You can usually visit the mausoleum on Sundays.
