Grotto In Garden Of And To West Of Denton House

The grotto, dated 1770, is located in the garden to the west of Denton House. It features a front wall made of flint with stone dressings. The facade includes a low pedimented gable flanked by large turrets and three pointed arches with key blocks. Inside, an arch leads to a small circular chamber, which may have been added later. This chamber is attributed to Stackhouse Thompson, who is believed to have collected shells and coral from the Great Barrier Reef. It has a colonnade that supports a dome decorated with shells, fossils, coral, polished stones, and mirrors, along with a lantern at the top and niches in the walls. The rear of the grotto has red brick exterior walls.