Early Modern   1500AD-1700AD
Return to Gallery Margate Shell Grotto Size Purpose Date Style Importance
		Margate Shell Grotto
		It was during building work in 1804 that workmen discovered the shell grotto at Margate. Despite fears of an imminent French invasion, news of the extraordinary find still found its way into the national press. The report of the excavation makes fascinating reading. Size The first significant point in the 1804 report related to the extent of the grotto. In 1804, only the rectangular room existed. There was no rotunda, dome or serpentine passage, features which did exist by 1837 when the grotto was opened to the public. The entrance in 1804 was through two sets of doors, a wooden one on the side of the present serpentine passage and one filled with glass in the present archway. Purpose The second significant discovery made by the excavators in 1804 related to the contents. The grotto had clearly been sealed up years before so when the room was opened, everything was intact. The furniture found consisted of:- a table at the east end an earthenware water container a pillar or stoop Between the shells was found a rosary. Opposite the table within the barrel roof long since destroyed, was a small stained glass window which opened to illuminate the table opposite. The excavators concluded that the grotto was in fact a secret Roman Catholic chapel. Date The third significant discovery was that the glass doors into the grotto contained the names and coats of arms of the owner plus a date. The year shown was 1612. At that time, the land was owned by Joseph Norwood, a gentleman and a long term recusant. There seems little doubt that the grotto was created as a private place of worship for himself. It was but seven years since the Gunpowder Plot and profession of the Roman Catholic faith remained illegal. Norwood died in 1624 by which time he had been converted to Protestantism. It is likely that he both built the grotto and closed it. Style It is uncertain whether the grotto was built as a separate structure or within the cellars of Norwood's Tudor mansion. The decoration is, however, clearly Jacobean. The patterns are geometric and there is strapwork in the corners. There are lozenges and stars. There is a tree which bears a close resemblance to that on the pulpit at St Nicholas which dates from 1615. Owing to the necessity of keeping the true purpose of the building a secret, there are no obvious Christian symbols but the imagery had meaning. The rose represented the Blessed Virgin, the tree represented life, the stars represented divine intervention. The shells themselves signified regeneration and were traditionally associated with St James and St Anne. Importance The grotto is an extremely important building for a number of reasons. It is the earliest surviving example in England of the Elizabethan and Jacobean fashion for building grottoes and shell rooms. It is unusual because it was built by a mere gentleman rather than a member of the royal family or a nobleman. Thirdly, it demonstrates the link between Thanet and the Renaissance. The inscription recorded Dutch involvement. There were stylistic similarities with Medici's grotto at Castello, and with those at Idstein and Versailles. The influence of the major grotto architects of the period, Serlio and de Caus, was evident. Fourthly, it shows that Catholicism survived the Reformation, if only in one man and for just a few years. Since 1804, the barrel roof, inscription, stained glass and altar have all been removed leaving just the eyewitness accounts from 1804 to show the purpose and age of the building now known as the Shell Grotto. It is a Grade One listed building and one of the rarest examples of the genre in the UK. Top
		Margaret Bolton Version 1. Posted 28.02.07
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