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stourhead grotto

The Grotto, commissioned by Henry Hoare and built by Henry Flitcroft, was constructed in 1748. It is a large domed rocky chamber with anterooms lined with flint, pebbles and tufa.

 

There are no shells here. The stones, some possibly volcanic, were brought over to England from Italy.

Grottos were popular in Italian Renaissance gardens as places of retreat from summer heat.

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Uploaded on January 16, 2020
Taken on January 12, 2020