The Grotto at Upper Pond the Shell Grotto is a Grade II listed building in the Waverley local planning authority area, England. First listed on 9 March 1960. Grotto.

The Grotto at Upper Pond the Shell Grotto

WRENN ID
gentle-alcove-fen
Grade
II
Local Planning Authority
Waverley
Constituency
Godalming and Ash MP: Sir Jeremy Hunt (Con)
Country
England
Date first listed
9 March 1960
Type
Grotto
Address
The Grotto at Upper Pond the Shell Grotto, Hambledon Road, Munstead and Tuesley
OS grid reference
SU 977 418
Coordinates
51.16769, -0.60341
Source
Historic England listing

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

Description

The Grotto at Upper Pond, also known as The Shell Grotto, is an 18th-century grotto constructed from dry stone rubble, featuring some blocks of ironstone. It is built into an earthen bank and covered with soil. The grotto has a central arched entrance with flanking panels that were once decorated with shells. The front has a segmental top with a heart-shaped panel. Inside, there is a shell-lined, vaulted chamber that is initialled "H.H.E." and dated 1810, along with a rectangular trough at the end. This grotto is part of a series of garden ornaments in a Romantic Landscape created by Philip Cartaret Webb around 1750 to 1770. It is also listed in the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England.

Local climate

The Grotto at Upper Pond the Shell Grotto receives an average of 740 mm of rain a year. This makes it drier than 74% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is lower than that of 56% of listed buildings.

It experiences an average of 37 freeze-thaw cycles a year, more than 66% of listed buildings. Of these, 16 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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