Restoration work on the mausoleum of one of the Victorian era's "greatest" explorers and his wife is underway in Mortlake, reopening its interior to the public for the first time in more than 60 years.

The Grade II listed tomb of Sir Richard Burton and his wife, Isabel, is being fully renovated for the first time in over three decades to prevent it from falling into disrepair.

When Sir Richard died in 1890, his devout Roman Catholic wife designed and commissioned the mausoleum at St Mary Magdalen Church as their final resting place. 

For inspiration, Isabel drew on a Bedouin tent they used during their excursions into the Syrian desert following his appointment as British Consul in Damascus in 1869. 

A mausoleum is a building containing a tomb (credit: Image supplied).

The tomb was carved from Forest of Dean sandstone to give the impression that it is rippling in the breeze. 

Broken into two phases, the first phase has seen moss on the mausoleum removed and its exterior cleaned by experts, with repainting to be carried out soon.

The second phase, which is yet to be approved, will have an external door reinstated.

The original tomb featured a stone door that allowed visitors to step inside as it was Isabel's wish that the public could pay their respect to Sir Richard.

However, in the 1950s, the door was vandalised and subsequently bricked up. The mausoleum has been closed to the public ever since.

Father Adrian McKenna, parish priest of St Mary Magdalen's church, said: "Visitors find the Mausoleum in all sorts of ways, some just stumble across it whilst strolling along the Thames towpath and others seek it out. 

"In the past six months alone, we've had just under 11,000 individual visits to our Google Maps site to view details of the Mausoleum. 

"In 1877, Sir Richard agreed to let his wife arrange for his baptism in the Catholic Church and to call upon a Priest if he was in danger of death, so that he could receive the 'Last Rites' – the 'Extreme Unction' or 'Sacrament of the Sick,' allowing him to be 'fortified by the Church' and brought to the mercy of God. 

"The 'Last Rites' are called that by many, because they are the last Sacramental Rites of the Church a dying person may receive.

"Sacraments are for the living, not the dead, and with Sir Richard barely conscious on his deathbed, it took Lady Isabel two attempts (and much persuasion) to find an Italian priest in Trieste who would anoint him with the words 'Go forth Christian soul.'  

"Three years prior to his death Lady Isabel had arranged Sir Richard baptised when he was unconscious from a heart attack.

"On his recovery, Sir Richard took this action in good part, but apparently without attaching much significance to it.

"His considerable interest in religion seems to have been more anthropological rather than a matter of faith, but God alone knows the real and conscious choices Sir Richard made in life." 

Artefacts inside the tomb will be restored (credit: Image supplied).

The works are being led by Habitats & Heritage, a Richmond-based charity that works to protect and enhance the historic and natural environment of south and west London. 

Dr. Helen Brown, conservation and interpretation officer at Habitats & Heritage, commented: "Its unique structure and fascinating contents make it a nationally important heritage site. 

"The original stone door was vandalised in the 1950s and has been blocked off to the public ever since.

"As an alternative, vandalism to a stained-glass window at the time of the break-in, allowed the provision of a toughened clear-glass window, allowing a view of the interior. 

"Reinstating the external door will allow visitors to engage more closely with the site while also enabling greater conservation and ongoing maintenance of the interior and collection." 

Habitats & Heritage was awarded a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant of £249,000 for the project, £80,000 of which has been earmarked for the restoration and rest will deliver an extensive educational program unlocking its secrets for a new generation. 

£80,000 has been allocated to the restoration (credit: Image supplied).

St Mary Magdalen Church expect the restoration to be completed by the end of the year.

A controversial figure, Sir Richard wrote extensively about the Middle East and Asia, introducing a broader Victorian audience to the Islamic world. 

He rose to fame after publishing his narrative of performing the Hajj, the Muslim pilgrimage, which he undertook in disguise as well as translating the ancient Indian text, The Kama Sutra.

He is most remembered for his journey to locate the source of the River Nile. 

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