Lost to history
The original building was constructed using brittle Bernasconi’s cement, which did not weather well. The ornate design was quickly damaged by the elements, and by visitors who wanted to take home a memento of their much-mourned princess. Although the building was kept in good repair with the oversight of Claremont’s next owner, Queen Victoria, by the early twentieth century it had deteriorated significantly, and in 1922 was demolished by the local council. The whereabouts of the bust of Charlotte that once stood inside remains a mystery.
Recreating the past
In 2017, to mark the 200th year since the mausoleum was finished, we installed a near-lifesize replica of the building on the original footprint at the top of the amphitheatre.
To help bring back Charlotte's mausoleum to life, we brought in the expertise of Props and Sets, who have previously worked on projects for the Royal Opera House, Oxfam and the BBC. The 3.5m-high tea-house was reconstructed to replicate the cenotaph as accurately as possible using marine-grade plywood, treated timbers and vacuum-formed thermoplastic.
The installation took a team of five craftsmen around 450 hours to make, in a fascinating eight-week process that involved site mapping, historical research, CAD drawing, sculpting, mould former making, painting and carpentry. The replica has been finished to evoke the texture of the original Bernasconi’s cement, and features surprisingly detailed Gothic tracery, arches and quatrefoils. An arch of roses completes the installation - a nod to Charlotte’s desire to enhance the terrace with a flower garden.