The Grotto South West Of Barwick House

ST51SE BARWICK BARWICK PARK

241-0/5/10000 The Grotto south west of Barwick House

GV II

Grotto in park of country house. Circa 1770; built for John and Grace Newman of Barwick House, Barwick Park [qv]. Rustic stone rubble. A subterranean grotto at the western end of the lake at Barwick Park. Comprises three chambers, including a small domed entrance chamber to the north, a small barrel-vaulted side chamber to the west of the entrance chamber containing a pool and to the south the large circular domed principal chamber contains a central pool with a path around it; there are three pairs of niches in the walls of the main chamber, from two of the niches issue springs and at the top of the dome there is an occulus. The niches and the entrance and connecting arches are semi-circular and rustic in form and the interior is of exposed rock rubble. The grotto was approached by a rocky ravine [Jones, B.] over which there was a rustic arch [Arch immediately south west of Barwick House qv]. SOURCES: Jones, B., Follies and Grottoes, pp 227-30. RCHME report, 13/12/1996. Buildings of England, page 85.

Listing NGR: ST5593114241