Shell Grotto
In the 18th Century, garden features were designed not only as objects of beauty but also to stimulate the deepest emotions.
These feelings were indulged to the full in the fashion for building grottos – rough hewn structures which suggested mysterious journeys into the earth, where shadow and gloom were relieved only by the sparkle of minerals and ancient shells.
The cylindrical grotto in Pontypool Park is built from local sandstone with a conical roof, but its plain exterior gives no clue as to what lies within.
Set in the floor are bones and teeth of animals set in patterns to form arcs and circles, stars, hearts and diamonds. The walls are mostly bare stone, with calcite crystals and the remains of moss, trees and other vegetation in places. The two remaining windows contain coloured glass.
The ceiling is the glory of the Grotto. It is fan vaulted, six fans rising from six pillars, and in the centre of the dome large artificial stalactites hand down. The pillars and ceiling are covered with thousands of shells interspersed with minerals and real stalactites removed from local caves.