The sealed tomb that was hidden for decades

For decades, people were unaware that a sealed chamber existed, hidden in a Surrey town.

The structure, built in the 1818 with a Greek-revival design, is the Hope Mausoleum, where Thomas Hope, an influential architect and collector during the Regency period, was buried.

It was once part of the Deepdene estate, in Dorking, which was a historic property that had belonged to Hope.

Dorking Town Guide Peter Sturge told Secret Surrey the mausoleum was originally built for Hope's son, Charles, who tragically died in Rome when he was seven-years-old.

Hope, born into a wealthy family in the Netherlands (then known as Holland), fled to England when the country was invaded by France.

According to the London Museum, he coined the phrase "interior decoration".

"Hope was an arbiter of taste and fashion, and expected everyone to make their homes like his," Sturge said.

"He had a mansion in London which was described as a museum rather than a home."

He added he collected antiquities from countries including Greece and Egypt.

Sturge said nine members of the Hope family were buried in the mausoleum, including Lord Francis Hope, the 8th Duke of Newcastle, who sold the Deepdene House to pay off his debts.

He added the 9th Duke of Newcastle wanted to pass the plot of land to the then Dorking Council.

However, the local authority did not want to manage the mausoleum due to vandalism.

"Therefore, the solution was to bury the mausoleum, with earth buried almost to the top of the pediment."

In 2010s, the site re-emerged.

A £1m Heritage Lottery Fund allowed Mole Valley District Council and local heritage groups to restore key features of the estate.

This included the opening of the Deepdene Trail in 2016, which is a public walking route linking the surviving elements of the historic landscape.

Now, the mausoleum is reopened as one of the trail's main attractions.

Sturge says it is vital the structure was restored because it is the only Thomas Hope-designed building standing.

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