The mausoleum was built in 1877 by Thomas Barnabas Hanham, the youngest son of Sir James Hanham, the 7th Baronet of Deans Court in Wimborne. Due to the River Stour flooding the churchyard on a regular basis, Hanham had a waterproof vault built inside the church in which to inter his second wife. But in 1869, upon the death of his daughter, the vault was opened and 19 inches of water was found. This discovery so upset him and his third wife, Edith, that they promised each other that they would be cremated on their deaths.
Uploaded to Geograph by Seo Mise on 2 October 2011
Photo © Seo Mise, 2 October 2011.
Licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons licence