2006

ST5772 : Goldney Grotto

taken 18 years ago, near to Clifton, Bristol, England

This is 1 of 4 images, with title starting with Goldney in this square
Goldney Grotto
Goldney Grotto
Bristol University's Goldney Hall, built in 1714, is set in ten acres of formal and wild gardens and is English Heritage listed.

The gardens were laid out by Thomas Goldney III and in recent years much work has been done to restore them in the spirit of his original design. The shell-lined grotto, a Grade 1 listed building, is widely valued for its unusual atmosphere and construction.

"In the summer of 1737, Goldney began on the first important and central part of his garden scheme, the construction of a grotto. The grotto took 27 years to complete and is lined with shells, fossils, corals and semi-precious stones. The grotto consists of 3 chambers, parted by pillars encrusted with quartz crystals. There are over 200 species of shell brought back from such locations as the Caribbean region. The central chamber houses a large plaster of paris lion with his lioness sitting in a den behind. The two other chambers consist of a sea god seated with water running from an urn over giant clams into a pool and finally a small wooden door that leads to a tunnel leading out onto the gardens."
LinkExternal link

Apparently the grotto is included in the annual Open Gardens scheme -- I'd recommend a visit if you can!

More photos here: LinkExternal link

Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]   © Copyright Chris Drake and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Category: Folly
This photo is linked from: Automatic Clusters: · Bristol [1001] · House [277] ·
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Grid Square
ST5772, 2302 images   (more nearby 🔍)
Photographer
Chris Drake   (more nearby)
Date Taken
Saturday, 17 June, 2006   (more nearby)
Submitted
Saturday, 29 July, 2006
Subject Location
OSGB36: geotagged! ST 573 727 [100m precision]
WGS84: 51:27.0998N 2:36.9532W
View Direction
WEST (about 270 degrees)
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Image classification(about): Supplemental image
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