Grotto to South East of the Old Mill in Melbourne Hall Gardens is a Grade II* listed building in the South Derbyshire local planning authority area, England. First listed on 10 November 1967. A Georgian Garden structure.

Grotto to South East of the Old Mill in Melbourne Hall Gardens

WRENN ID
bitter-hall-sienna
Grade
II*
Local Planning Authority
South Derbyshire
Constituency
South Derbyshire MP: Samantha Niblett (Lab)
Country
England
Date first listed
10 November 1967
Type
Garden structure
Period
Georgian
Address
Grotto to South East of the Old Mill in Melbourne Hall Gardens, Church Close
OS grid reference
SK 391 248
Coordinates
52.81974, -1.4212
Source
Historic England listing

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

Description

The grotto, located to the southeast of the Old Mill in Melbourne Hall Gardens, dates from the early 19th century. It is constructed of red brick and covered in tufa, shells, and marble. The grotto features a low segmental headed alcove with a small semi-circular headed marble niche at the back, which overlooks a small stone pool. Above the niche is a marble inscription that reads:

"Rest weary stranger in this shady cave,
And taste, if languid, of the mineral wave,
There's virtue in the draught, for health that flies,
From crowded cities and their smoky skies,
Here lends her power from every glade and hill
Strength to the breeze."
C Lamb.

This grotto is a later addition to an early 18th-century garden designed by London and Wise, who were gardeners to Queen Anne, for Thomas Coke of Melbourne Hall. It is included in the Derbyshire Historic Gardens Register at Grade I.

Local climate

Grotto to South East of the Old Mill in Melbourne Hall Gardens sits in a drier-than-average part of the UK, with an average of 730 mm of rain a year. This makes it drier than 77% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is lower than that of 72% of listed buildings.

It experiences an average of 37 freeze-thaw cycles a year, more than 69% of listed buildings. Of these, 18 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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Nearby listed buildings

  1. Pool House and Attached Garden Railings Grade II 43 m
  2. Vase and Pedestal to North West of the Four Seasons Vase in Melbourne Hall Gardens Grade I 46 m
  3. Covered Seat to West of Fountain Pond in Melbourne Hall Garden Grade I 48 m
  4. Outbuilding to South of the Old Mill Grade II 50 m
  5. The Old Mill Grade II 62 m
  6. Outbuilding to North of the Old Mill Grade II 75 m
  7. Pedestal and Four Seasons Vase in Melbourne Hall Gardens Grade I 77 m
  8. Water Channel and Three Bridges in Melbourne Hall Gardens Grade II* 85 m
  9. Pedestal with Vase to South West of Fountain Pond in Melbourne Hall Garden Grade I 87 m
  10. Stone Fountain to South of Lower Terrace in Melbourne Hall Gardens Grade I 92 m