Hamilton Mausoleum
Hamilton Palace Mausoleum is a remarkable, Roman-style domed structure of panelled masonry. Standing to an overall height of about 123 feet (37m), it occupies a site some 650 feet (200m) north of the site of Hamilton Palace. The build began in 1842 by architect David Hamilton and was completed by architects David Bryce and Alexander Richie in 1858, five years after the death of the 10th Duke.
Alexander, 10th Duke of Hamilton, replaced his family burial vault which stood close to the east quarter of the palace. Now Hamilton Mausoleum is the solitary remaining testament to the colossal scale and grandeur of the buildings which once stood in Hamilton Low Parks.
The Duke was interred in an Egyptian sarcophagus, on a black marble slab in the main chapel, while 17 of his ancestors were interred in the crypt below. The coffins of the 10th Duke and his ancestors were later removed after subsidence and flooding affected the mausoleum, and re-buried in Hamilton's Bent Cemetery.
For many years in the 1960s-1970s the structure was noticed to be subsiding. The monolithic, plinth based construction prevented structural cracking however, and, after many anxious years, the building miraculously settled back to near vertical.
Original bronze outer doors, featuring impressive bas-relief work are displayed inside the Mausoleum. The interior has the longest-lasting echo of any building in the world, a phenomenon dramatically demonstrated to visitors by slamming the entrance doors. Another curiosity of the interior architecture are the "Whispering Wa's" or walls. Two people can stand at either end of one of the curved interior walls, facing away from each other, into the niche of the wall and hold a whispered conversation. The remarkable acoustics of the walls project the sound eerily to the listener at the other side.
The underground crypt was prone to flooding from the nearby Clyde and for many years the coffins of the Hamilton family were removed. These have never been replaced. In the 1970s the glass oculus in the dome was replaced with a perspex version, moved into position by helicopter.
You can view our Hamilton Mausoleum photo gallery and our virtual tours of the Hamilton Mausoleum Chapel and Hamilton Mausoleum Crypt (these will all open in new windows).
For more information on our museum service or to book a tour of the Mausoleum please contact Low Parks Museum.
There is a small charge of £1.15 per adult and £0.70 per child for a tour of the Mausoleum.
This service is provided by Community Resources
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