Shell Grotto At The Dell To North Of Goodwood House

The Shell Grotto at the Dell, located to the north of Goodwood House, is a garden feature built around 1730 for the second Duke of Richmond. It is constructed of brick set into an earth bank, with shell and pebble cladding and lining that is now largely decayed. The grotto features a vaulted chamber and a wide round-arched entrance with a raised keystone. Inside, there are blocked circular roof lights and a later opening in the rear wall, with patterned panels still discernible. This grotto is one of several structures that were built around a man-made amphitheatre, all created around the same time for the second Duke of Richmond as part of his famous menagerie.