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Summary

Description

Circa 1840. Single storey, 2-bay, gabled, rectangular-plan mausoleum with shouldered buttresses to walls, those at angles rising above roof line. Squared and coursed bull-faced sandstone. Timber-boarded door with ornamental wrought-iron strap hinges and handle; cross finial above to gable apex. Iron grilles to small windows on side elevations. Ashlar-coped saddle-back skews. Grey slates.

Statement of Special Interest

The mausoleum is important as one element in the programme of work on the estate initiated by George Cranstoun, 1st Lord Corehouse, from the mid-1820s onwards. There are features in the design of the mausoleum, such as the use of bull-faced masonry and the shouldered buttresses which are found at Corehouse house, as well as on other estate buildings such as the conservatory. It is clear that a conscious effort was made to follow the style of these earlier buildings.

It is as yet uncertain who was responsible for the design of the estate buildings. Lord Corehouse sought advice in the improvement of his estate from his friend Sir Walter Scott and on the latter's recommendation, through written correspondence, he appointed Edward Blore of London as architect of the house (1824-27). When Scott visited Corehouse in 1827 he commented 'like all new improvers Corehouse is at more expense than is necessary, plants too thick and trenches where trenching is superfluous. But this is the eagerness of the young artist'. Scott did not identify the designer but it would seem from his comments that Lord Corehouse may have had a hand in the design of some of the improvements and may subsequently have been involved with the design of the mausoleum. The actual layout of the grounds was possibly the work of Charles Landseer, (1799-1879), one of the two older brothers of Edwin Landseer, the painter, and also an acquaintance of Scott. Charles was a painter of historical and genre subjects and was Keeper of the Royal Academy. However the attribution to Charles Landseer is by no means certain, the information deriving from a source of 1882 which claims that the layout of the grounds was from the hand of Edwin Landseer's younger brother. Since Landseer was the youngest of three brothers, some doubt is cast on its accuracy.

The mausoleum is probably a decade later than the other elements in the estate. Lord Corehouse had a stroke in about 1840 and it is assumed that he initiated the construction of the mausoleum at this time, though he did not die until 1851. On George Buchanan's map (1841) the building is clearly marked as 'Mausoleum' but the 1st edition Ordnance Survey map (1857-58) marks it as 'Reservoir'. It is possible that this was the site of a reservoir at the time of the earlier house at Corehouse, but it seems more likely that the Ordnance Survey made a rare mistake. The structure stands on elevated ground above the level of the house and lies directly over a stream which fed some hothouses toward the NE. George, 1st Lord Corehouse, and his two nieces Margaret and Maria who inherited the estate from him in 1850 (to meet the entail they changed their name from Cunninghame to Edmonstoun-Cranstoun) were buried here.

Other elements of the Corehouse designed landscape also listed are the Conservatory and Flower Garden Walls, the Dovecot, the Stable Court and the Stove House (see separate listings).

List description updated 2010.

References

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