2009
SJ7702 : Entrance to the Caynton Hall cave / grotto
taken 16 years ago, near to Ryton, Shropshire, England

Entrance to the Caynton Hall cave / grotto
In the woods just to the west of Caynton Hall, this hole leads down into a grotto cut into the soft sandstone. The hall was owned in the mid 1850s by the Legge family, and it's thought that the grotto was cut out then, but the reasons aren't clear. It consists of a series of passages and chambers, with niches in the walls for candles or other lighting, and the carving of the rooms is quite professional. I have posted a number of underground images to illustrate this.
It's a creepy place, and is rumoured to have been used in the 1980s for 'Black Magic' rituals (probably not involving boxes of chocolates...).
It's a creepy place, and is rumoured to have been used in the 1980s for 'Black Magic' rituals (probably not involving boxes of chocolates...).