Thomas Hope (1769–1831) is recognised internationally as one of great figures in 19 century taste. His country house, The Deepdene near Dorking in , was demolished in 1969, but one singular building remains: the Mausoleum he built to house the body of his young son Charles who died in 1817. This massive archaic Greek structure lies in a picturesque dell within the grounds of The Deepdene, but was neglected and then part-buried in the 1960s. It now awaits rescue.
saw the official launch of the MMT's fundraising campaign at the in . The eminent architectural historian Professor David Watkin gave a lecture and MMT Chairman Roger Bowdler outlined the Trust's plans. Professor Watkin was co-curator of the 2008 exhibition on Hope at the V&A and is the author of two books on the designer.
As Hope’s only extant building, the Hope Mausoleum deserves respect as the place of his burial, as well as being an extraordinary instance of the Neoclassical way of death. We are currently applying to various government bodies and charitable trusts to secure funding, and it helps enormously to point to public support for the campaign in the form of donations via this webpage. Please make a donation today.