Grotto And Arches On Grotto Hill

WESTON-UNDER- HAWKSTONE PARK SJ 5629-5729 REDCASTLE C.P. 16/184 Grotto and arches on - Grotto Hill - II

Grotto. Early to mid-C18 for Sir Richard Hill, builder of Hawkstone Hall (q.v. under Hodnet C.P.), continued for his nephew, Sir Rowland Hill and considerably embellished and extended for the latter's son, Sir Richard Hill, second baronet of Hawkstone, in late C18. Grotto hollowed out of natural sandstone, possibly making use of existing caves, regularly coursed and dressed sandstone arches at southern entrance, that to front enclosing atrium, which formerly had gabled roof. Pointed arch above served as eye-catcher from below. The original entrances to the grotto were from the path cut in the rock on the west face of the hill but in late C18 a long dark subterranean passage, possibly originally created for the first Sir Richard Hill, was apparently rediscovered and cleared out. Interior: large number of chambers and passages with columns and crude 'vaulting' left by excavation, top-lit by portholes formerly filled with stained glass. At least one round-headed arch has 'rusticated voussoirs'. Several of the chambers were formerly decorated with shells, corals, ore, jet and other encrustations (some of which survive in one of the side chambers off the south entrance) but these and the stained glass were destroyed in 1940s. After inspecting the interior of the grotto, visitors found themselves at the edge of the 'awful precipice' below the southern entrance and could find relief in the rock-cut seat to the right. They were then ready to re-enter the cave, to depart through the western entrance, and to begin the walk across the so-called Raven's Shelf in preparation for the 'arduous' descent. B.O.E. pp.145-6; C.L. (July 10, 1958) pp.72-4; C.L. (May 9, 1985) pp.1246-7; sketch-plan in Barbara Jones, Follies and Grottoes (2nd edn. 1974) p.82.

Listing NGR: SJ5729329695