The Drake Mausoleum  
 

 

Drake Family Mausoleum

Woking Borough Council

Drake family mausoleum, Brookwood Cemetery

Through the help of Pankhurst Graphic Masonry the Society has employed Mr John Deal - an architectural consultant and conservation expert - to compile reports on the current state of the Drake mausoleum and the Columbarium.

Mr Deal was also requested to recommend appropriate remedial work to prevent any further deterioration to these mausoleums.

Vegetation forcing the pediment of the Drake mausoleum to openIn January members of the Society's restoration team cleared the forest of saplings that were established on the roof of the mausoleum, tided the area and painted the wrought iron gates. At the same time the restoration team fitted a temporary tarpaulin over the roof space to try to prevent any further ingress of rainwater onto the structure.

 

 Vegetation forcing the pediment to open

 

 

View of the barrel vault, Drake mausoleum, Brookwood CemeteryView of the top of the barrel vault to the Drake mausoleum

Mr Deal's report specifies the emergency repairs that are required to prevent any further deterioration to this mausoleum. The cost of this work is estimated at £6,589 and the Society has the resources to proceed with this work, which will start in the near future.

In addition, the Society has been awarded a grant of £2,000 from the Surrey Historic Buildings Trust to assist with the costs of this project.

The state of the mausoleum is critical because it has lost most of its original roof. The surviving "roof" comprises a brick barrel vault which was (before the tarpaulin was fitted) fully exposed to the elements.

 

Missing section of the pediment, Drake mausoleum Missing section of the pediment

The Drake mausoleum was commissioned by Sir William Richard Drake (1817-1890) and is one of the most attractive mausoleums in the cemetery. Several members of the family are buried in the vault beneath, and one is buried in a grave immediately to the right of the mausoleum.

 

The following description is taken from the information supporting the designation of this building as a Grade II structure (23 July 2004):

"Mausoleum to Sir William Richard Drake (d.1890). Designer unknown. Limestone and sandstone, pink granite shafts, remains of glass mosaic decoration to frieze, wrought iron gates.

"DESCRIPTION: this mausoleum comprises a rectangular cell with arcaded sides, four arched openings per side, and a triple-arched west end with low gates. Above a moulded base is a dado of pink sandstone; paired granite shafts with crocketed capitals support the springing of the arches, also of sandstone, which are decorated with cable mouldings. The upper part of the structure comprises a pedimented roof over a densely bracketed cornice. The floor of the structure has a cross-incised slab to the centre. The inner rear wall is tripartite, echoing the opposite entrance wall, with engaged shafts carrying a sandstone frieze. The wall surface is enriched with floral relief decoration around circular fields: these are now empty, but probably contained bronze panels. To the centre is the Drake coat of arms, over an inscription which reads TYME TRYETHE TRUTHE. The roof has fallen in.

"HISTORY: Drake was a lawyer and connoisseur, involved with both the Burlington Fine Arts Club and with the formation of the Murano Glass & Mosaic Company in 1869, an offshoot of theSalviati firm. The once prominent employment of mosaic to the frieze inscription is now sadly depleted. A very unusual late Victorian mausoleum in the Lombardic manner, reflecting Drake’s aesthetic interests."

Photographs © Brookwood Cemetery Ltd and John Deal

 


 

Restoration of the Drake Mausoleum: Phase I (May 2007)

Woking Borough Council

Surrey Historic Buildings Trust (SHBT) logo

 The mausoleum at the start of 2007. Note the missing section of the pediment.

A photographic record of the emergency repairs to this attractive Grade II listed structure can be seen here. See also the page on the Drake mausoleum for further details of this Grade II listed structure. The project is now completed (June 2007).

Drake mausoleum, Brookwood Cemetery, with scaffolding erected, May 2007

 On 12 May 2007 scaffolding was erected around the mausoleum to enable access to the roof. The roof area is the focus of these emergency repairs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Drake mausoleum, Brookwood Cemetery, pediment repaired May 2007

By 19 May 2007 the missing section of the pediment has been repaired.

Repairs to the stonework are being undertaken by Chris Anstey.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Drake mausoleum, Brookwood Cemetery, repairs to pediment, May 2007

A further view of the repaired apex taken at roof level. The bronze fitting used to support a decorative cross.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Repaired corner of the roof of the Drake mausoleum, May 2007

 View showing the re-set corner following the removal of a large root (for which see photograph below). This had grown between the joint and lifted this section, allowing water to penetrate the structure below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tree root removed from the roof of the Drake mausoleum, Brookwood Cemetery

 Photograph of the large tree root that caused the damage to the corner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

General view of the new ballast on the roof of the Drake mausoleum

 General view of the roof showing the top of the brick vault and the replacement ballast each side.

Attention has been drawn to the fir trees immediately to right of the roof. These are likely to cause further damage in the future and their removal is being investigated.

 

 

 

These photographs record all the major work planned under Phase I of these emergency repairs. 

 

Photographs © Margaret Hobbs and John Deal

 

 

 
 

Restoration of the Drake Mausoleum: Phase II (June 2007)

Surrey Historic Buildings Trust (SHBT) logo

Drake mausoleum, Brookwood Cemetery, with scaffolding erected, May 2007

Woking Borough Council

 On 12 May 2007 scaffolding was erected around the mausoleum to enable access to the roof. The roof area is the focus of these emergency repairs

Progress with Phase II of the emergency repairs to this attractive Grade II listed structure can be seen here. See the page on the Drake mausoleum for further details of this Grade II listed structure.

Phase II of the work was completed in early June 2007 and comprised completing an emergency roof to protect the barrel vault from further exposure to the weather. This part of the work has been undertaken byA. E. Hughes, roofing contractors. The following photographs show the completed roof as it appeared on 9 June 2007.

 

Drake mausoleum with its roof restored, Brookwood Cemetery

 

 

 A similar view to that reproduced above and showing the emergency roof in place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Drake mausoleum with its roof completed, Brookwood Cemetery

 A view of the entrance to the mausoleum showing the completed roof and repaired pediment.

 

The Brookwood Cemetery Society is very grateful for financial support from the Surrey Historic Buildings Trust (who granted us a £2,000 grant towards the cost of the restoration) and Woking Borough Council (who gave us £600 from its Community Awards budget).

 

 

 

Completed roof on the Drake mausoleum, Brookwood Cemetery

 A further view of the completed roof.

 

 

 

 

 

photographs © Margaret Hobbs

 

 
           
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This site was last updated 23-11-19 © The Brookwood Cemetery Society