Grotto on North Side of the Lake at Elvaston Castle is a Grade II listed building in the South Derbyshire local planning authority area, England. First listed on 11 March 1987. A Early C19 Grotto. 2 related planning applications.

Grotto on North Side of the Lake at Elvaston Castle

WRENN ID
frozen-baluster-spring
Grade
II
Local Planning Authority
South Derbyshire
Constituency
South Derbyshire MP: Samantha Niblett (Lab)
Country
England
Date first listed
11 March 1987
Type
Grotto
Address
Grotto on North Side of the Lake at Elvaston Castle, Borrowash Road, DE72 3EP
OS grid reference
SK 409 331
Coordinates
52.89419, -1.39347
Source
Historic England listing

Also on this page: EPC · related consents · flood risk · radon risk · weather exposure · detailed attributes ↓

Description

The Grotto on the north side of the lake at Elvaston Castle is an early 19th-century structure built for the Earl of Harrington by his landscape gardener William Barron. It is constructed from stone and brick, covered with tufa boulders. The grotto features a large artificial mound with a viewing platform on top and a series of niches at the front. On either side, there are irregular arcades of rock and arches also covered with tufa. This grotto was created during the development of the elaborate gardens designed by William Barron between 1830 and 1860, which are listed in the Derbyshire Historic Gardens Register at Grade II*. The grotto is included in the heritage listing for its group value.

Local climate

Grotto on North Side of the Lake at Elvaston Castle sits in a drier-than-average part of the UK, with an average of 740 mm of rain a year. This makes it drier than 76% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is lower than that of 77% of listed buildings.

It experiences an average of 36 freeze-thaw cycles a year, more than 64% of listed buildings. Of these, 17 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.

Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.

More on this building

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  • Full EPC report — heating system, energy costs, size, glazing, construction etc.
  • No sale records on file
  • Related listed building consents — 2 applications
  • Detailed attributes — period, style, materials, features
  • Flood risk assessment
  • Radon risk assessment
  • Weather exposure and heating demand — rain and frost month by month and year by year, wind direction, solar and humidity
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Nearby listed buildings

  1. Pump House Grade II 178 m
  2. Elvaston Castle Grade II* 180 m
  3. Boat House at Elvaston Castle to East End of the Lake Grade II 180 m
  4. Coach House and Attached Buildings at Elvaston Castle Grade II 222 m
  5. Churchyard Walls and Attached Curtain Wall Between Coach House and Elvaston Castle Grade II 222 m
  6. Sheep Dip in Service Court at Elvaston Castle Grade II 236 m
  7. Information Centre and Shop at Elvaston Castle Grade II 252 m
  8. Church of St Bartholomew Grade I 258 m
  9. Stables to West of Elvaston Castle Coach House Grade II 263 m
  10. Springthorpe Cottage at Stableyard Entrance to Elvaston Castle Grade II 297 m