Building record 0420802015 - GROTTO, Grotto Lake, Stowe Landscape Garden

Summary

Building designed by William Kent in the mid-eighteenth century and modified into a grotto in the late eighteenth century

Protected Status/Designation

  • Listed Building (II*) 1211941: THE GROTTO
  • SHINE: Stowe medieval to post medieval landscape garden, medieval deserted villages of Lamport & Boycott, shrunken village of Daford, also moats, manors and fishponds, ridge and furrow earthworks & cropmarks, and areas of ancient semi natural woodland

Map

Type and Period (3)

  • GROTTO (18th Century - 1700 AD to 1799 AD)
  • ORNAMENTAL LAKE (Post-Medieval - 1540 AD to 1798 AD)
  • LAKE (Post-Medieval - 1540 AD to 1798 AD)

Description

Grade II+. Three rough arches of stone with pebble lined basin, c1740 perhaps by Kent, romanticised and buried c1780. Interior: central vaulted chamber, with remains of tufa lining, niche in rear wall. Barrel vaulted side chambers and entrance passages (B14).
In the 1730s Lord Cobham hired William Kent, the landscape gardener and artist, to design a neo-classical grotto at the head of the Serpentine river. Kent created a square cross-vaulted chamber with a statue of Venus in a central recess, the water flowing through a series of basins into the river in a style reminiscent of early Roman grottoes to Venus. Originally used as a banqueting house for light refreshments, the grotto at Stowe was remodelled later in the eighteenth century with a covering of tufa and rockwork to give it the rustic and subterranean appearance by then fashionable for grottoes (B50).
An archaeological investigation was undertaken by the National Trust in March 2001 as part of the programme of restoration . Historical sources attribute the design to William Kent and the building to the late 1730s. It is believed to represent the face of Hades with River Styx flowing from the mouth. It was originally a free standing structure with a statue of Venus by Peter Scheemakers standing on a shell-embossed pedestal. The interior was changed by adding shell decorations, mirrors and glass fragments in 1740s. It was extensively remodelled in 1760s by adding side passages, the back of the building was buried and tufa attached to disguise all the stone and brick work. A two-tiered marble basin was also installed. Minor alterations occurred in the 19th and 20th century, with emergency repairs undertaken in the 1970s and 1990s (B18).
The National Trust's Survey of Stowe undertaken in 1989 contains additional details - the floor is surfaced with small pebbles; the tuffa decoration has fallen away to uncover two earlier phase of decoration one of small broken flints and another of small glass chippings (B19).
Survey, recording and excavation carried out from Summer 2003 to April 2004 by Northants Archaeology to investigate the surviving components of the water supply system. The original source of the water supply to the grotto was not established (B29).
Included in English Heritage's Buildings ar Risk Registers. In 1999 described as priority C: 'Slow decay; no solution agreed'. In 2001-2006 described as priority 3 (D): 'Slow decay; solution agreed but not yet implemented'. In 2007 described as priority E: 'Under repair…'; in 2008-9 priority D: 'Slow decay, some work done...' (B33,B37-39,B43,B45, B48).
Detailed drawings of interior decoration (B47).
Watching brief in February 2011 during works to resurface and reroute the path leading to the western side of the grotto, established the original line of the 18th century path, probably added in the 1780s. See report for detail (B55).

Sources (32)

  • ---SBC17422 Aerial Photograph: 04/09/76. BCM A2/11/20-22. SP\674376. Yes.
  • ---SBC20023 Unpublished document: English Heritage. 2001. Stowe Park, Stowe, Buckinghamshire: An Archaeological Survey by English Heritage (Survey Report).
  • <1>SBC9229 Bibliographic reference: C Morris (ed). 1949. The Journeys of Celia Fiennes c1694. pp29-30.
  • <2>SBC14098 Bibliographic reference: SEELEY B 1766 STOWE, A DESCRIPTION OF THE MAGNIFICENT HOUSE & GARDENS (WITH ILLUS) (ARE VARIOUS ED.
  • <3>SBC16278 Bibliographic reference: VERTUE G ET AL; ENGRAVINGS IN SOC OF ANTIQUARIES RED PORTFOLIO P24.
  • <4>SBC7809 Bibliographic reference: LIPSCOMB 3 PP84-108 (FULL DESCRIPTION & ILLUS OF MANSION, APARTMENTS, CONTENTS & GARDENS).
  • <5>SBC14400 Bibliographic reference: SHEAHAN PP304-8 (FULL DESCRIPTION OF HOUSE, GARDEN TEMPLES &C).
  • <6>SBC16094 Bibliographic reference: VCH BUCKS 4 PP229-233 (FULL DESCRIPTION, ILLUS, GROUND PLAN, MANORIAL HISTORY).
  • <7>SBC11805 Bibliographic reference: PEVSNER N 1960 BUCKINGHAMSHIRE PP251-265 & ILLUS (FULL DESC, & ACCOUNT OF WORK SINCE HOUSE BECAME A.
  • <8>SBC10383 Map: Ordnance Survey. 1958. OS 1958 6IN MAP. 1:10,560.
  • <9>SBC16531 Bibliographic reference: WHISTLER L, GIBBON M & CLARKE G 1974 STOWE, A GUIDE TO THE GARDENS (HAS A FULL BIBLIOGRAPHY ON PP37-.
  • <10>SBC2990 Bibliographic reference: CLARKE G 1976 (JULY) SLIDES OF AIR PHOTOS TAKEN JULY 1976 FROM A BALLOON SHOWING FORMER GARDEN FEATU.
  • <11>SBC2991 Bibliographic reference: CLARKE G 1979 (DEC) LETTER RE ICE HOUSES (ON CAS FILE) ALSO OS 1880/5 6-INCH 1:10560 (1ST EDN).
  • <12>SBC8335 Unpublished document: MEEHAN J 1988 STOWE; ELYSIAN FIELDS TREE & LEVEL SURVEY (TYPESCRIPT REPORT & MAP, FILED).
  • <13>SBC16362 Bibliographic reference: WAINWRIGHT A 1989 NATIONAL TRUST ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY: STOWE (COPY, FILED).
  • <14>SBC3681 Bibliographic reference: DoE. 1983. List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. p28.
  • <15>SBC9897 Bibliographic reference: NATTES C 1805-9 COLLECTION OF 105 SKETCHES & DRAWINGS OF STOWE (AT BCM).
  • <16>SBC16364 Bibliographic reference: WAINWRIGHT A 1993 REPORTS ON THE STOWE PYRAMID, THE SAXON DEITIES & THE SOUTH FRONT (COPIES, FILED).
  • <17>SBC4634 Bibliographic reference: English Heritage. 1994. REGISTER OF PARKS & GARDENS OF SPECIAL HISTORIC INTEREST IN ENGLAND: BUCKINGHAMSHIRE. Part 4.
  • <18>SBC19536 Unpublished document: Oliver Jessop (National Trust). 2001. The Grotto: Preliminary Archaeological Investigations in Preparation for Major Conservation Repairs.
  • <19>SBC19992 Unpublished document: Angus Wainwright. 1989. The National Trust Archaeological Survey: Stowe. pp32.
  • <29>SBC22444 Unpublished document: Northamptonshire Archaeology. 2004. A Survey of the Surviving Hydrological System at the Grotto, Stowe Landscape Gardens.
  • <33>SBC22671 Bibliographic reference: English Heritage. 2006. English Heritage Register of Buildings at Risk 2006. p52.
  • <37>SBC19679 Bibliographic reference: English Heritage. 1999. English Heritage Register of Buildings at Risk 1999. p54.
  • <38>SBC19680 Bibliographic reference: English Heritage. 2001. English Heritage Register of Buildings at Risk 2001. p57.
  • <39>SBC19681 Bibliographic reference: English Heritage. 2002. English Heritage Register of Buildings at Risk 2002. p55.
  • <43>SBC22953 Bibliographic reference: English Heritage. 2007. English Heritage Register of Buildings at Risk 2007. p50.
  • <45>SBC23138 Bibliographic reference: English Heritage. 2008. Heritage at Risk Register 2008. p211.
  • <47>SBC23338 Unpublished document: ?. 2007. Stowe Gardens Grotto Main Chamber & Ante-Chambers: Layering Proposal.
  • <48>SBC23453 Bibliographic reference: English Heritage. 2009. Heritage at Risk Register 2009: South East. p28.
  • <50>SBC20535 Bibliographic reference: Hazelle Jackson. 2001. Shell Houses and Grottoes. pp8-9,35,37.
  • <55>SBC24053 Unpublished document: National Trust. 2011. Observations on Excavations to Recreate the Path Leading to the Grotto, Stowe Landscape Gardens.

Location

Grid reference SP 67649 37499 (point)
Civil Parish STOWE, Aylesbury Vale, Buckinghamshire

Finds (0)

Related Monuments/Buildings (1)

Related Events/Activities (5)

  • Event - Survey: Aerial investigation and mapping project (Ref: 7768) (EBC18304)
  • Event - Intervention: Archaeological investigation of The Grotto, Stowe (EBC16216)
  • Event - Survey: Site visit (EBC13583)
  • Event - Survey: Survey, recording and excavation (EBC16614)
  • Event - Intervention: Watching brief (EBC17441)

Record last edited

Jun 27 2023 9:13AM

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