The Shell Grotto is an ornate subterranean passageway shell grotto in Margate, Kent, England. Almost all the surface area of the walls and roof is covered in mosaics created entirely of seashells, totalling about 2,000 square feet (190 m 2) of mosaic, or 4.6 million shells.

Home of the Grade 1 listed Shell Grotto. Open to enquiring minds since 1838.

A shell grotto is a type of folly, a grotto decorated with sea shells. The shell grotto was a popular feature of many British country houses in the 17th and 18th centuries.

The Shell Grotto is one of the world’s most mysterious places: a series of underground rooms and passageways covered by 2000sqft of exquisite mosaic created with 4.6 million shells. Discovered in 1835, nobody knows who created it, when, or why.

Oct 22, 2024 · Hidden beneath the streets of Margate, Kent, England, lies one of the world’s most puzzling and awe-inspiring structures — the Shell Grotto, a subterranean cave system adorned with millions of shells arranged in intricate patterns and mosaics.

Welcome to Shell Grotto in Margate, nestled into England’s scenic southeast coastal region of Kent. And, yes, it’s open to the public year-round. If you’ve got a little bit of whimsy and a spare day in London to explore the countryside, you can reach Shell Grotto in only an hour and a half.

We stock hundreds of products in our shop, some inspired by the designs in the Grotto, some inspired by the seaside and many inspired by, or made of, shells. We also stock an interesting range of jewellery, plus fossils, crystals and a small but perfectly formed selection of books.

Open Thursday-Sunday 11am-4pm. Discovered in 1835, the Shell Grotto is an astonishing find; 70 ft (21m) of winding passages decorated with 4.6 million shells - arranged as images and patterns including gods and goddesses, and trees of life made from the shells of …

There are approximately 4.6 million shells in the Shell Grotto. With very few exceptions, they are humble native British shells, something that marks the Grotto out as unusual.

Oct 11, 2018 · Now known as the Margate Shell Grotto, the 104-foot long passage and large altar room are covered head-to-toe in seashell mosaic. In all, 4.6 million shells were used to ornament around 2,000...