Hamilton Palace

Hamilton Palace was the largest non-Royal residence in the Western WorldFact|date=March 2008 in its heyday, located north-east of Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland.

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. 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 is Blenheim Palace.Fact|date=March 2008

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 new North Front had been planned by the fifth Duke in the 1730s, and extensive plans were prepared by William Adam. However the Duke's early death and the significant costs involved postponed further major work, although modifications and additions continued during the next century, including the purchase or exchange of land surrounding the palace, enabling extensive landscaping to take place. [Walker, G. (1977) "Hamilton Palace: A photographic record". Hamilton District Libraries.] The North Front itself was finally completed 1842 by architect David Hamilton for Alexander, the tenth Duke using Adam's original plans as a structure. 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 (7.6 m) high. The Staterooms, which included extensive stucco-work, were by Smith and Adam. These held much fine furniture and by the mid-19th century housed the one of the best private collections of paintings in Scotland, including works by Peter Paul Rubens (see below), Titian, Anthony van Dyck, and other masters. A sumptuous chimneypiece by William Morgan adorned the Dining Room's fireplace.

Châtelherault

:"Main article: Chatelherault Country Park"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.

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. 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. 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.

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. The decline began in 1882 when art was sold off to raise funds by William, the 12th Duke. 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.

It was returned from military use in 1919. At this time the magazine "Country Life" featured a number of articles on the palace and a quantity of photographs were taken to accompany the series. As such they represent an invaluable record of the house before the massive sale of contents and fittings, and its demolition in 1921. [Avray Tipping, H. (1919) 'Hamilton Palace', "Country Life"]

The Rubens, "Daniel in the Lions' Den" is now in the The National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. [Walker, G. (1977) "Hamilton Palace: A photographic record". Hamilton District Libraries.]

The site today

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. When the park was being constructed in 1974, vaulted cellars were discovered which may have belonged to the original house. However these were not excavated but instead infilled with rubble.

Several metres of wrought iron railing from the palace grounds can be seen outside Hamilton College. 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. An Esporta health club, municipal sports facilities and an Asda superstore now stand on the site of the original palace.

References

External links

* [http://www.rcahms.gov.uk/hamilton/index.html 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.
* [http://www.dicamillocompanion.com/Houses_hgpm.asp?ID=942 Hamilton Palace entry from The DiCamillo Companion to British & Irish Country Houses]