The Shell Grotto
Encyclopedia
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- See also a Shell Grotto in MargateShell Grotto, MargateThe Shell Grotto is an ornate subterranean passageway in Margate, Kent. Almost all the surface area of the walls and roof is covered in mosaics created entirely of seashells, totalling about of mosaic, or 4.6 million shells. It was discovered in 1835 but its age remains unknown...
.
- See also a Shell Grotto in Margate
The Shell Grotto - - (sometimes called the Shell Hermitage) is a late-18th-century stone built, slate roofed grotto
Grotto
A grotto is any type of natural or artificial cave that is associated with modern, historic or prehistoric use by humans. When it is not an artificial garden feature, a grotto is often a small cave near water and often flooded or liable to flood at high tide...
decorated with shells and animal bones on the interior. It stands on a prominent ridge 700 ft above sea level, within the boundary Pontypool Park
Pontypool Park
Pontypool Park is a park containing predominantly mature trees with some open meadowland located in Pontypool, south Wales. The park was formerly the grounds of Pontypool House and was laid out in the closing years of the 17th century for Major John Hanbury, the local ironmaster, who is closely...
, Torfaen
Torfaen
Torfaen is a county borough in Wales within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. It was originally formed in 1974 as a district of the county of Gwent and in 1996 it was reconstituted as a unitary authority.-Education:...
in South Wales
South Wales
South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...
. It is considered to be the best surviving grotto
Grotto
A grotto is any type of natural or artificial cave that is associated with modern, historic or prehistoric use by humans. When it is not an artificial garden feature, a grotto is often a small cave near water and often flooded or liable to flood at high tide...
in Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. It is an important local landmark
Landmark
This is a list of landmarks around the world.Landmarks may be split into two categories - natural phenomena and man-made features, like buildings, bridges, statues, public squares and so forth...
commanding views south towards the Severn Estuary
Severn Estuary
The Severn Estuary is the estuary of the River Severn, the longest river in Great Britain. Its high tidal range means it has been at the centre of discussions in the UK regarding renewable energy.-Geography:...
. A little further along the same ridge can be found the Folly Tower
The Folly Tower
The Folly Tower - - is a folly located within Pontypool Park, Torfaen, South Wales . It is a prominent local landmark above the A4042 Pontypool to Abergavenny road and overlooks Pontypool to the west and rural Monmouthshire to the east...
.
History
It was built by the Hanbury family (local ironmasters and original owners of the Pontypool Park estate) as a summerhouse. The basic construction of local red sandstone and conical stone tiled roof is thought to have been built around the time John Hanbury’s death in 1784.The grotto has a fan vaulted roof
Vault (architecture)
A Vault is an architectural term for an arched form used to provide a space with a ceiling or roof. The parts of a vault exert lateral thrust that require a counter resistance. When vaults are built underground, the ground gives all the resistance required...
(with six fans rising from six pillars) and the interior is covered with thousands of shells interspersed with minerals and real stalactites. The floor incorporates animal bones and teeth forming circles, stars and diamonds.
During the early 19th century John’s son, Capel Hanbury Leigh, undertook renovations of the family house and park’s grounds. It is thought that Molly, wife of Capel Hanbury Leigh, was responsible for interior shell decoration.
There is no direct evidence that the shell interior was Molly’s invention, but it is known that she was an avid collector of shells. The shell decoration within grottoes was common during the 19th century and it follows that Molly may have followed the trend and begun the work to place the shells in the grotto.
The Hanbury family used the grotto for picnics during nearby shoots throughout the 19th century. During 1882 the then Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
(later Edward VII), is said to have picnicked at the grotto during a shoot.
Restoration
During the 20th century the grotto began to fall into disrepair and by the early 1990s the building was beginning to suffer from the elements as well as vandals. The roof of the grotto had collapsed, and some of the outer walls were beginning to crumble. Public access to the grotto was stopped during the 1970s.Without renovation the grotto could have been lost totally. Initial reviews of the cost of renovating the property were very high and the local council sought external financial assistance.
Although some minor restoration to the roof was undertaken in January 1992, the grotto continued to suffer and the external walls were quickly becoming a major issue. It was during 1992 and 1993 that the intervention of the Welsh Heritage Authority, Cadw
Cadw
-Conservation and Protection:Many of Wales's great castles and other monuments, such as bishop's palaces, historic houses, and ruined abbeys, are now in Cadw's care. Cadw does not own them but is responsible for their upkeep and for making them accessible to the public...
, and the European Regional Development Fund
European Regional Development Fund
The European Regional Development Fund is a fund allocated by the European Union.-History:During the 1960s, the European Commission occasionally tried to establish a regional fund. Only Italy ever supported this, however, and nothing came of it. Britain made it an issue for their accession in...
, that enough donations were secured to cover complete restoration of the building.
The exterior of the building was restored over eight months during 1993 and 1994 which included repairs to damaged stone work, renovation of the chimney
Chimney
A chimney is a structure for venting hot flue gases or smoke from a boiler, stove, furnace or fireplace to the outside atmosphere. Chimneys are typically vertical, or as near as possible to vertical, to ensure that the gases flow smoothly, drawing air into the combustion in what is known as the...
, roof timber replacement, a new roof, a replacement door and new windows and shutters.
The summer of 1994 saw completion of the exterior work, at a cost of £75,000. Although the exterior was now complete the magnificent shell interior was in complete disarray, due to the elements, the collapsed roof and vandals.
In 1995 a campaign was begun to raise funds to match the local council’s resources to restore to former glories the interior of the grotto. Donations were secured once again from Cadw and from the Heritage Lottery Fund
Heritage Lottery Fund
The Heritage Lottery Fund is a fund established in the United Kingdom under the National Lottery etc. Act 1993. The Fund opened for applications in 1994. It uses money raised through the National Lottery to transform and sustain the UK’s heritage...
in Wales.
Restoration of the shell interior commenced in 1996 and a specialist team of conservators (St Blaise Ltd.) did the restoration of the intricate plaster and shell work. Repairs to the ceiling, pillars, walls and floors took four months to complete.
A photographic record had been taken of the shell interior some years earlier and this was valuable in ensuring that the repairs were true to character. Many of the shells and minerals that had been dislodged had been stored away and these, together with replacement material, were used in the restoration process. British shells provide the majority of the shells used and include mussels, cockles
Cockle (bivalve)
Cockle is the common name for a group of small, edible, saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs in the family Cardiidae.Various species of cockles live in sandy sheltered beaches throughout the world....
, periwinkles and limpets, accompanied by a few examples of exotic species such as pearl oyster
Pearl oyster
Pearl oysters are saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs of the genus Pinctada in the family Pteriidae. They have a strong inner shell layer composed of nacre, also known as "mother of pearl"....
, conch
Conch
A conch is a common name which is applied to a number of different species of medium-sized to large sea snails or their shells, generally those which are large and have a high spire and a siphonal canal....
and cowrie.
The restoration of one of the finest shell grottoes in Wales was completed in December 1996, enabling residents and visitors to Pontypool to once again visit this magnificent hilltop Grotto and enjoy the splendour of the shell interior and the panoramic views.
The root work around walls and ceiling was riddled with worm. To stabilise these almost hollow structures a resin and solvent mixture was painstakingly injected into the holes with a hypodermic needle. When the solvent evaporated the resin hardened making the whole root solid.
The rustic chairs were restored by piecing in new segments which were missing, repairing broken sections, and scraping back layers of modern paint. The chairs had originally been painted, the dull green colour being analysed under the microscope and dated to the middle 19th Century. With the new pieces of wood needing to be painted, it was decided to repaint all chairs in a specially mixed colour to match the original.
Access and opening times
Visiting the grotto involves a steep climb over uneven ground so access can be difficult.The grotto is open May to September - Saturdays, Sundays and Bank Holidays - 14:00 - 17:00