Grotto, tomb and souterrein at Ashridge

The grotto, tomb, and souterrein at Ashridge were created between 1813 and 1821 by Sir Jeffry Wyatville, following a design from Humphry Repton’s Red Book of 1813.

The structure features a puddingstone amphitheatre and a flint-lined tomb and tunnel. The tomb and tunnel are reinforced with iron armatures, except for approximately 3 meters of the tunnel, which has a steel framework.

Located to the south-east of the fernery garden, about 100 meters south of the chapel, the grotto is set into an earth mound that is planted with mature trees.

The grotto garden is designed as an amphitheatre, with the sides lined with local puddingstone. A pond once existed on the north side, fed by a cascade from the mound to the east, but it has since been largely filled in. The east side of the grotto features a puddingstone wall with three openings. The two northern openings lead to a circular domed chamber, approximately 4 meters in diameter, which contains the grave of Duke, a beloved horse that died in 1857. This date and the horse’s name are inscribed on a memorial tablet set into the pebble-lined floor. The southern opening leads to the souterrein, a flint-lined tunnel about 2 meters wide and 2.5 meters high, which connects through the mound to the Duchess' Private Garden. This opening is also framed by puddingstone and features a wrought iron gate.