The Grotto, About 1/2 Mile South East of Menabilly House at Polridmouth is a Grade II listed building in the Cornwall local planning authority area, England. First listed on 13 March 1951. Folly.

The Grotto, About 1/2 Mile South East of Menabilly House at Polridmouth

WRENN ID
peeling-marble-barley
Grade
II
Local Planning Authority
Cornwall
Constituency
St Austell and Newquay MP: Noah Law (Lab)
Country
England
Date first listed
13 March 1951
Type
Folly
Address
The Grotto, About 1/2 Mile South East of Menabilly House at Polridmouth, Fowey
OS grid reference
SX 102 505
Coordinates
50.32396, -4.66652
Source
Historic England listing

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

Description

The Grotto, located about half a mile southeast of Menabilly House at Polridmouth, is a late 18th-century octagonal folly. It is constructed from rounded quartz boulders, with the joints snecked with sea shells. The interior walls were originally lined with shells, crystal ores, and polished stones, although most of these have been removed. The structure features two blocked four-centred arch openings and small gable heads on each wall. Currently, it is roofless and in a poor state of repair.

Local climate

The Grotto, About 1/2 Mile South East of Menabilly House at Polridmouth sits in a wetter-than-average part of the UK, with an average of 990 mm of rain a year. This makes it wetter than 80% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is greater than that of 87% of listed buildings.

It experiences an average of 10 freeze-thaw cycles a year, fewer than 91% of listed buildings. Of these, 4 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.2°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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Nearby listed buildings

  1. Menabilly House Grade II* 705 m
  2. Gribbin Tower Grade II 907 m
  3. Coombe Farmhouse Grade II 983 m
  4. West Lodge, North West of Menabilly House Grade II 1.2 km
  5. Tregaminion Church Grade II* 1.5 km
  6. Stone Cross Immediately North West of Church Grade II 1.5 km
  7. Tregaminion Farmhouse Grade II 1.6 km
  8. Lime Kiln at South End of Beach by Harbour Wall Grade II 1.8 km
  9. 20 Grade II 1.8 km
  10. Remains of Fish Cellars and Net Lofts at Middle and East of Beach Grade II 1.8 km