What is Scott's Grotto?
 | Scott's Grotto in Ware is a series of six interconnected chambers decorated with thousands of shells, flints and pieces of coloured glass. It extends 67 ft (20 m) into a chalk hillside. Above the grotto, on top of the hill, you can also discover the summerhouse, which in its day would have commanded a wonderful view over Ware. Scott's Grotto was extensively restored in 1990 and is a Grade I listed site. The summerhouse and gardens are Grade II*. |
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Why was Scott's Grotto built?
The grotto was built in the 1760s by John Scott, an 18th century Quaker poet. Scott was born in London in 1731. His family moved to Amwell End in Hertfordshire in 1740, in order to establish themselves in the malting industry. The Scott family lived in what is now called Amwell House, which had extensive grounds including a large garden. Grotto-building was fashionable in the mid 18th century, so when John Scott decided to rebuild the family house and to landscape the garden, he also created the grotto.
Several theories exist as to why John Scott constructed the grotto. He probably wanted to decorate his garden in a fashionable style, but he may also have decided to create a cool, quiet place in his garden where he could write poetry or entertain friends in the summer. Since Scott disliked visiting London, he may have created the grotto as an attraction to encourage friends and members of London Society to visit him in Ware. The grotto's most famous visitor was Dr Samuel Johnson, the literary critic and creator of the first major English dictionary. He stayed with the Scott family in the summer of 1773 and may have visited again in June 1774. He described the grotto as a "Fairy Hall" and said "none but a poet could have made such a garden". However, there may have been another, more serious, reason for building the grotto. As a devout Quaker, Scott was concerned about finding work for the poor of Amwell End. Building the grotto would have provided valuable work for unemployed men, particularly at times of the year when other labouring or agricultural work was not available. |  |
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More recent history
 | John Scott's daughter, Maria, inherited her father's estate when he died in 1783. Following her death in 1863, the estate was sold to a property development company and Scotts Road was built. The grotto was included in the garden for a large house on Scotts Road, but this was demolished in the 1960s to make way for house building. The builder planned to erect two houses on the land the grotto occupied. Work was stopped, but sadly the porch and the roof of the Council Chamber had already been demolished. In 1974 East Herts Council acquired the land and carried out badly needed basic repairs, including re-roofing the Council Chamber in 1978. In 1987 the Ware Society, a local conservation group, suggested a full-scale restoration scheme. This included replacing the demolished porch and rebuilding the summerhouse. Restoration work took place in 1990 and the grotto was formally re-opened by Lord Montagu of Beaulieu in 1991. The grotto has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building. The garden, including the summerhouse, is Grade II* listed. |
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* Photographs by kind permission of Pan3Sixty
Virtual Tour
View Scott's Grotto Online Tour.
Visitor information
Location
Between Nos 28 and 34 Scotts Road, Ware, Hertfordshire SG12 9JQ.
Opening times
From the beginning of April to the end of September, Scott's Grotto is open from 2pm to 4.30pm each Saturday and Bank Holiday Monday.
Group visits can also be arranged at other times by prior appointment. Please contact the Warden on 01920 464131 for further details.
Heritage Open Days
Scott's Grotto will be open as part of Heritage Open Days 2009 as follows:
- Saturday 12 September, 2pm to 5pm
- Sunday 13 September, 2pm to 5pm
The summerhouse will be open on both these days as well as the Grotto. Please bring a torch and wear flat shoes.
For further information about other sites that will open on Heritage Open Days 2009, please visit Heritage Open Days
Admission
Entrance is free, but a suggested donation of £1 per person would be appreciated.
Access information
Visitors are strongly advised to wear flat shoes and to bring a torch. The underground system is unlit and in some places the floor is uneven and the ceilings are low.
In the garden there are steps leading down to the grotto and up to the summerhouse. Visitors are requested to stay on the paths leading to the grotto and summerhouse and not to climb the banks. Unfortunately, there is no access for wheelchair users.
Further information
For further information about Scott's Grotto, please contact the Warden on 01920 464131.
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