Imagine having some workers digging a hole in your garden when they fall into an underground cavern. That happened to a farmer in Margate, Kent, England, in 1835. They found its walls covered in ornate shell mosaics when they entered the underground tunnel. No one knows who made the shell grotto or what its purpose was. The one reigning opinion is that it is an incredible sight!
The shell grotto includes 70 feet of serpentine passageway, with a rectangular cavern at the southern end and a rotunda at the northern end. The passageways are nearly eight feet high, and the underground structure measures roughly 2,000 square feet.
The passages within the shell grotto have more than 4.6 million shells. The mosaic patterns include depictions of gods and goddesses and symbols such as the Tree of Life. No one knows how or why the underground structure came to be, but the imagery hints at a possible pagan origin. Experts believe it was built in the 1700s or early 1800s, but the shells cannot be carbon-dated.
Walking Through The Shell Grotto Is Breathtaking
Entering via the north staircase, you descend through a carved chalk passage into the north tunnel. The shells in the grotto begin within the rotunda.
At the south end of the rotunda is a dome that allows natural light into the chamber. As you turn to face the arched entryways to the rotunda, the dome is an impressive sight.
Stepping into the center of the dome and looking up, you can see its open center. The shell mosaics are visible at the top of the dome structure, which is quite high.
So many shells, patterns, and images are dancing around the walls that it isn’t easy to focus on just one portion of the raw beauty. Although you may never see this structure in real life, we did find a great YouTube tour. This virtual tour allows viewers to experience the adventure without the travel and displays much more of the cave’s grandeur.
The property remains privately owned, but you can visit for a walk-thru if you are in the area. Friends of the Shell Grotto maintains the structure. Sections of the grotto have been used as backdrops for book covers, magazines, news reports, movies, and more.
We hope you enjoyed exploring the shell grotto with us. If you think this will amaze your friends and family, please share it with them.
You can find the source of this story’s featured image here.
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