On Halloween night, one of the UK’s finest examples of an Egyptian-style mausoleum will be lit up to glow in the dark.
(c) Habitats & Heritage
Built on the instructions of the 2nd Earl of Kilmorey in the 1850s, this memorial to the dead was for him, and his beloved mistress. It cost a staggering £30,000 and was originally in Brompton Cemetery, but moved a couple of times, until it found its current home, in the grounds of the Earl’s estate in Richmond.
A tunnel was dug from the Earl’s home to the mausoleum, and it is claimed that the Earl would be regularly wrapped in a shroud, and wheeled down the tunnel by his servants while resting in his future coffin.
This coming Halloween, the door to the mausoleum grounds will be unlocked and people allowed to see this Egyptian temple to the dead glowing in the night. There will be a chance to tour the Kilmorey Mausoleum and hear about the illustrious history of its creator and occupant, Francis Jack Needham, 2nd Earl of Kilmorey and Priscilla Hoste.
Tours will be conducted by volunteers from Habitats & Heritage in 30 minute slots starting at 6:30pm and finishing at 9:30pm.
Tickets are £5 per person and must be booked in advance from here.
The Kilmorey Mausoleum is about a 10 minute walk from St Margarets station served by South Western Railway, or about 20 minutes walk from Richmond station (Overground/District lines) via the Richmond Lock footbridge across the Thames.
