Grotto at Hayne

The Grotto at Hayne is a Grade II listed structure from the early 19th century, located in Stowford. It is built of stone rubble, and its roof may have originally been thatched. The grotto has a rectangular plan and is a single-storey building. The front wall features an irregular rustic stone screen wall with an asymmetrical profile, and there are simple round-headed entrances on both the front and the left side. Inside, the walls and roof are entirely decorated with shells, and there are niches in the walls along with a groin vaulted roof. In the early 19th century, Hayne was the site of various antique ceremonies noted by J.B. Wollocombe in his history of Stowford parish. A quarry in an area known as "the Wilderness" was transformed into a picturesque meeting room for the local hunt, and a nearby stretch of ground is said to have been used for archery.