Two Tunnels And Lakeside Grotto

The Two Tunnels and Lakeside Grotto are located in Stancombe Park, North Nibley, and were constructed around 1860 for Reverend David Edwards. The structure consists of a tunnel beneath a former driveway and another tunnel under a pathway leading to the lakeside grotto. The tunnels are made of ashlar and roughly hewn marlstone, with brick linings. The short tunnel runs straight under the driveway, while the longer tunnel runs beneath the pathway, dividing on either side of the lakeside grotto.

The entrances to the north tunnel and the northern entrance of the longer tunnel are round-arched and made of ashlar marlstone. At the junction of the tunnels, there is a small slit that provides a view into the narrow end of the grotto, which widens towards the lake's edge. Inside the grotto, there is a sequence of small rock pools with running water. The southern entrances are formed by large marlstone blocks arranged in a naturalistic style. Just inside the northern entrance of the longer tunnel, there is a niche containing a carved lion statue that has a somewhat Chinese appearance. This feature is part of a larger collection of elements in the extensive Regency and early Victorian landscaped park and pleasure garden.