Shell House south of Pitshill House

Shell House, located south of Pitshill House, was built around 1810. The shell-work is said to have been created by three sisters from the Mitford family of Pitshill House. The building underwent restoration from 2012 to 2014.

The structure features brick walls that are lime rendered, topped with a leaded roof covering over a timber roof structure. It has a circular plan, with a domed roof that reaches about 6 meters in height and 4.1 meters in diameter.

The exterior is lime rendered over red brick, and the domed roof includes a central finial and three circular roof-lights with coloured glass. One roof-light is located in the center of the north side, while the others are spaced evenly around the dome. The north elevation features a Portland stone entrance, added around 2014, which includes a moulded cornice, pilasters, and elliptical arched oak double doors. Semi-circular windows with coloured glass are located on either side of the entrance, and a similar window is centered on the south side.

Inside, the shell-work decoration is elaborate, set on wooden laths and lime mortar, and includes about 50 species of both native and exotic shells, 22 different minerals, corals, broken mouldings, animal bones, and glass. The shells are arranged in random flat patterns, geometrical shapes, or clusters, connected by flowing ribbon patterns of mussel shells. A convex looking glass on the south side reflects the main house and is adorned with a Nautilus shell above it and a slate shelf featuring pieces of flowstone. Three small marble stands are integrated into the shell-work, likely originally intended for candles or sconces. A frieze of large exotic shells, including Queen conch, Helmet, and Triton shells, along with small rectangular pieces of looking-glass, separates the walls from the ceiling. Although the dome was originally left undecorated, it was completed in 2014 with similar shells and patterns as the walls, including a shell-work chandelier. The floor consists of stone paviours radiating from a central roundel made of grey-black fossilized stone.