The Grotto South West of Barwick House is a Grade II listed building in the Somerset local planning authority area, England. First listed on 27 February 1997. A Georgian Grotto.

The Grotto South West of Barwick House

WRENN ID
grim-railing-holly
Grade
II
Local Planning Authority
Somerset
Constituency
Yeovil MP: Adam Dance (LD)
Country
England
Date first listed
27 February 1997
Type
Grotto
Period
Georgian
Address
The Grotto South West of Barwick House, Barwick and Stoford
OS grid reference
ST 559 142
Coordinates
50.92592, -2.62839
Source
Historic England listing

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

Description

The Grotto, located southwest of Barwick House in Barwick Park, is a grotto built around 1770 for John and Grace Newman. Constructed from rustic stone rubble, it is situated at the western end of the lake. The grotto consists of three chambers: a small domed entrance chamber to the north, a small barrel-vaulted side chamber to the west that contains a pool, and a large circular domed principal chamber to the south. The principal chamber features a central pool with a path surrounding it and three pairs of niches in the walls. Two of these niches have springs issuing from them, and there is an oculus at the top of the dome. The niches, as well as the entrance and connecting arches, are semi-circular and rustic in design, with the interior showcasing exposed rock rubble. Access to the grotto is via a "rocky ravine," which is spanned by a rustic arch.

Local climate

The Grotto South West of Barwick House receives an average of 830 mm of rain a year. This makes it wetter than 54% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is greater than that of 65% of listed buildings.

It experiences an average of 30 freeze-thaw cycles a year, fewer than 64% of listed buildings. Of these, 12 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°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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