Hamilton Palace was the largest non-Royal residence in the Western World in its heyday, located north-east of Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. The term Western world, the West or the Occident ( Latin: occidens -sunset -west as distinct from the Orient) can have multiple meanings Hamilton is a town in South Lanarkshire, in the west- Central Lowlands of Scotland. South Lanarkshire ( Siorrachd Lannraig a Deas in Gaelic) is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland, covering the southern part of the Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain.
The former seat of the Dukes of Hamilton, it was built in 1695, subsequently much enlarged, and demolished in 1921, it was said, due to ground subsidence, although substantive evidence was wanting. The Dukedom of Hamilton is a title in the Peerage of Scotland created in 1643 the holder is the premier peer of Scotland. Year 1921 ( MCMXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1921 calendar of the Gregorian calendar In Geology, Engineering, and Surveying, subsidence is the motion of a surface (usually the Earth's surface as it shifts downward relative to It is widely acknowledged as having been one of the grandest houses in Scotland. The only other non-Royal residence in the United Kingdom that approached its scale was Blenheim Palace. Blenheim Palace is a large and Monumental country house situated in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England.
Contents |
The Palace
Built on the site of a 13th century tower house, the south front of Hamilton Palace was erected in 1695 by architect James Smith for William, 3rd Duke of Hamilton and his wife Duchess Anne. A tower house is a particular type of stone structure built for defensive purposes as well as habitation. James Smith (c 1645 – 1731 was a Scottish Architect, who pioneered the Palladian style in Scotland William Douglas-Hamilton Duke of Hamilton, KG, PC ( 24 December 1634 – 18 April 1694) was the son of William Anne Hamilton 3rd Duchess of Hamilton ( 6 January 1631, London &ndash 17 October 1716) was a Scottish noblewoman The North Front was completed 1842 by architect David Hamilton for Alexander, the tenth Duke. David Hamilton ( May 11, 1768 &ndash December 5, 1843) was a Scottish Architect based in Glasgow. Alexander Hamilton 10th Duke of Hamilton 7th Duke of Brandon KG PC FRS FSA (3 October 1767 &ndash 18 August 1852 was a Scottish The north front was 265 feet (81 m) long and 60 feet (18 m) high, adorned with a Corinthian portico of monolithic columns 25 feet (7. The Corinthian order is one of the Classical orders of Greek and Roman Architecture, characterized 6 m) high. The Staterooms, which included extensive stucco-work, were by Smith and William Adam. William Adam (1689 &ndash 24 June 1748 was a Scottish Architect, mason, and Entrepreneur. These held much fine furniture and by the mid-19th century housed the best collection of paintings in Scotland, including works by Peter Paul Rubens, Titian, Anthony van Dyck, and other masters. Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio (c 1485 &ndash August 27 1576 better known as Titian, was the leading painter of the 16th-century Venetian Hamilton Palace stood at the centre of extensive parklands which, as the main axis, had a great north-south tree-lined avenue over three miles (5 km) in length. The layout was later developed, most notably by William Adam, who introduced Châtelherault hunting lodge into the south avenue in the High Parks where it commanded a broad vista northwards across the Low Parks. Chatelherault Country Park is a Country park in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland.
Hamilton Mausoleum
In line with his grandiose enlargement of Hamilton Palace, Alexander, 10th Duke of Hamilton, replaced his family burial vault which stood close to the east quarter of the palace in the aisle of the old and dilapidated collegiate church. Alexander Hamilton 10th Duke of Hamilton 7th Duke of Brandon KG PC FRS FSA (3 October 1767 &ndash 18 August 1852 was a Scottish In Christianity, a collegiate church is a church where the Daily office of worship is maintained by a College of canons; a non-monastic or Now the solitary remaining testament to the colossal scale and grandeur of the buildings which once stood in Hamilton Low Parks, Hamilton Palace Mausoleum is a remarkable, Roman-style domed structure of panelled masonry. Standing to an overall height of about 123 feet (37 m), it occupies a site some 650 feet (200 m) north of the site of Hamilton Palace. Begun in 1842 by architect David Hamilton and completed by architects David Bryce and Alexander Richie in 1858, five years after the death of the 10th Duke. David Hamilton ( May 11, 1768 &ndash December 5, 1843) was a Scottish Architect based in Glasgow. David Bryce (1803-1876 was a Scottish architect Born in Edinburgh, he was educated at the Royal High School and joined the office of architect William 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 and a 20ft plumb-line hanging on the front of the mausoleum indicated the lean from true. The monolithic, plinth based construction prevented structural cracking however and, after many anxious years, the building miraculously settled back to near vertical.
Inside the mausoleum are displayed the original bronze outer doors, featuring impressive bas-relief work. 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. This page is about the architectural term See also Eye. Oculus (plural oculi) is the Latin word for Eye, and the word remains
The Mausoleum is opened to the public for a few days every year (dates from Hamilton Tourist Information Office).
Decline and demolition
The demise of Hamilton Palace was the result of various factors: large and ostentatious houses had fallen from fashion; the cost of upkeep was prohibitive; and nearby coal mines resulted in dangerous subsidence as the coal beneath was removed. Coal mining is the extraction or removal of Coal from the Earth by Mining. In Geology, Engineering, and Surveying, subsidence is the motion of a surface (usually the Earth's surface as it shifts downward relative to The decline began in 1882 when art was sold off to raise funds by William, the 12th Duke. William Alexander Louis Stephen Douglas-Hamilton 12th Duke of Hamilton 9th Duke of Brandon 2nd Duc de Châtellerault KT ( London, March 12 1845 However after Alfred, the 13th Duke lent his home for use as a naval hospital during World War I, the state of the palace was one of severe neglect necessitating vast sums for restoration. Lieutenant RN Alfred Douglas Douglas-Hamilton, 13th Duke of Hamilton and 10th Duke of Brandon, TD, DL ( Lanarkshire World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All
By the time it was returned from military use, in 1919, the fate of the house was sealed and following a massive sale of contents and fittings, it was demolished in 1921.
The site of the Palace is now occupied by the Hamilton Palace Sports Grounds. Most of the Palace grounds were incorporated into Strathclyde Country Park. Strathclyde Country Park is a Country park located in Lanarkshire, Scotland. Some of the fittings, and photographs of the interior, can be viewed in the Low Parks Museum (the old Palace Coachhouse) in Hamilton.
The sandstone bungalows on the south side of the A74, Carlisle Road, leaving Hamilton in the direction of Ferniegair and Larkhall are reputed to have been built from salvaged stone from the palace.
The remains of the tree lined avenue which linked the palace to Chatelherault hunting lodge can still be seen. These give the visitor a good indication, particularly from Chatelherault Country Park, of where the palace stood. Chatelherault Country Park is a Country park in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. An Esporta health club, municipal sports facilities and an Asda superstore now stand on the site of the original palace.
External links
- Hamilton Palace: A Virtual Reconstruction - A website developed by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS) with maps, photographs, and virtual reconstructions of the palace itself. The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS is an executive non-departmental public body financed by the Scottish Parliament
- Hamilton Palace entry from The DiCamillo Companion to British & Irish Country Houses
Dapyx Software network: MP3 Explorer | Ebook Manager | Zenithic