Pope's Grotto in Grounds of St Catherine's High School is a Grade II* listed building in the Richmond upon Thames local planning authority area, England. Grotto.

Pope's Grotto in Grounds of St Catherine's High School

WRENN ID
calm-stronghold-merlin
Grade
II*
Local Planning Authority
Richmond upon Thames
Constituency
Twickenham MP: Munira Wilson (LD)
Country
England
Type
Grotto
Address
Pope's Grotto in Grounds of St Catherine's High School, Cross Deep
OS grid reference
TQ 160 727
Coordinates
51.44196, -0.33174
Source
Historic England listing

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

Description

Pope's Grotto is located in the grounds of St Catherine's High School. This grotto features a rusticated arched entrance that faces the river and runs under the road to what was once part of Pope's Estate, now the school playing fields. The passage was lengthened when the road was widened in the 19th to 20th centuries. Inside, there is a long passage with two "chapels," one on either side of the entrance. The walls are lined with cement that incorporates rocks, stones, and stalactites, which are said to have come from Wookey Hole in Somerset, and the cement is shaped to resemble rough rocks.

There are a few pieces of sculpture, such as statues, in the "chapels," though they are not of high quality. The original decorations that once adorned the grotto have long since disappeared, leaving it dark and gloomy, but it remains dry. The grotto is well maintained and preserved by the Sisters. The school and convent are situated on the site of Pope's House, which is located above the entrance to the grotto. There is also a smaller grotto in the grounds, likely of similar origin.

Local climate

Pope's Grotto in Grounds of St Catherine's High School sits in a drier-than-average part of the UK, with an average of 720 mm of rain a year. This makes it drier than 83% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is lower than that of 78% of listed buildings.

It experiences an average of 32 freeze-thaw cycles a year, fewer than 59% of listed buildings. Of these, 14 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

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  2. Twickenham War Memorial Grade II* 195 m
  3. Cross Deep and Coach House Grade II* 206 m
  4. Summer House in Radnor Gardens Grade II 208 m
  5. Grotto or shell house in the grounds of Thames Eyot Grade II* 228 m
  6. Loggia in the grounds of Thames Eyot Grade II 229 m
  7. Underground Passage in Grounds of St Catherine's High School Grade II* 248 m
  8. Underground passage at Radnor Lodge Grade II* 269 m
  9. Boathouse and deep-water dock, riverside landing stage, steps, balustrade and gates, Thames Eyot Grade II 359 m
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