The Shell House Approximately 550 Metres to South of Acton Burnell Hall is a Grade II listed building in the Shropshire local planning authority area, England. First listed on 14 May 1986. Grotto.

The Shell House Approximately 550 Metres to South of Acton Burnell Hall

WRENN ID
stony-screen-azure
Grade
II
Local Planning Authority
Shropshire
Constituency
South Shropshire MP: Stuart Anderson (Con)
Country
England
Date first listed
14 May 1986
Type
Grotto
OS grid reference
SJ 534 014
Coordinates
52.60868, -2.68854
Source
Historic England listing

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

Description

The Shell House, located approximately 550 metres south of Acton Burnell Hall, is a grotto believed to date from around 1750. It is constructed from rustic coursed and squared sandstone and features a domed roof with an octagonal plan. The entrance on the north-west side has pairs of rectangular windows flanking the doorway. Inside, the upper parts of the walls and the dome are adorned with shells arranged in a radial design, featuring a central boss, along with shell patterns and pictures in the panels. The lower part of the walls is decorated with Chinese-type glazed picture tiles. Originally, there was a continuous bench around the walls and a central table, of which the base still remains. The grotto is situated on the north-western slopes of Acton Burnell Hill within the park of Acton Burnell Hall.

Local climate

The Shell House Approximately 550 Metres to South of Acton Burnell Hall receives an average of 770 mm of rain a year. This makes it drier than 63% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is lower than that of 85% of listed buildings.

It experiences an average of 47 freeze-thaw cycles a year, more than 88% of listed buildings. Of these, 24 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.

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