Description

WIMBORNE ST GILES
SU 0311 ST GILES HOUSE

13/111 Grotto 250m south-east
of St Giles House

II*

Grotto, 1750s by Castles of Marylebone. Flint and rubble with tiled and
slated roof. Overgrown and in a state of dereliction so that much of
the structure is hidden. Positioned so that the structure appears to
be the source of a spring feeding the ornamental lake. Three rounded
arches, the central one leading into the main grotto and the outer ones
leading into subsidiary compartments. The main grotto which cannot now
be easily entered has walls lined with shells, fossils, coral and stone
mounted on a lathe and plaster vault, partially collapsed. It consists
of 2 chambers the innermost of which is said to contain a C19 tiled floor
and fireplace. The subsidiary compartments contain flints suspended from
iron hooks. Main grotto has a plank door. An important example of this
type of grotto but now in a state of considerable disrepair. (RCHM, Dorset,
vol V, p 97, no. 6. Newman, J and Pevsner, N. The Buildings of England:
Dorset, 1972, p 473. Jones, B, Follies and Grottoes, 1953, p 47-9).

Listing NGR: SU0344811422

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17537918

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Renovating Old Houses: Bringing New Life to Vintage Homes (For Pros By Pros)
• 
  Old House Handbook 2 Books Bundle Collection (Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair,Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability)
• 
  Setting up a Listed Building Heritage Partnership Agreement: Historic England Advice Note 5
• 
  Hampshire: Winchester and the North (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Farrow & Ball How to Decorate: Transform your home with paint & paper
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides): Written by Charles O'Brien, 2014 Edition, Publisher: Yale University Press [Hardcover]