People Are Flocking To This British Cultural Treasure In Attempts To Solve A Mystery

While Margate is a popular destination today for those who like relaxed seaside resorts, that wasn’t always the case. Hundreds of years ago, the coastal town was merely a humble fishing spot, with residences scattered around the docks. At that stage, the only real building of note was St. John’s Church. Sat atop a rise looking over the rest of the community, it boasted architecture that could be partially traced back to the 1300s. Yet things started to change significantly in the area towards the middle of the 18th century.

During the 1730s a trend for bathing in the sea became fashionable; naturally Margate proved an ideal location. People began to flock to the town, and over the years it slowly transformed into a bustling hotspot. But while the community continued to thrive thanks to the influx of tourists, a local family stumbled upon something further inland that left their jaws hanging. And as the story goes, it was found by sheer chance.

Now, the details of the discovery do differ a touch depending on where you look, but the majority of reports date the action to the year 1835. At that time, a man named James Newlove had been excavating earth on land near his home, intending to create a duck pond. Joshua, his young son, was helping out as well. According to one account, during the dig James’ shovel suddenly met no resistance, revealing a hole leading into a dark subterranean space.

With the pair understandably curious as to what was down there, Joshua was lowered down on a rope by his father: both were amazed by what he found. You see, this wasn’t just a plain cave. Remarkably, they’d uncovered a spectacular grotto that boasted elaborate shell decorations along its walls. Mind you, James’ daughter later shared a very different account of the discovery: she suggested Joshua had already known about the grotto beforehand.

As quoted by The Shell Grotto’s website, Frances Newlove said, “My brother found out about the underground place sometime before it was known. He never dared to tell father. He found the chalk loose at one end of the passage next to the cottage, which was built afterwards, and he opened it up by taking the stuff away, as it were in rough blocks. Then when the opening was wide enough, he crawled through and got into the grotto. And so did I.”

“Yes, and two or three other young girls [came] too,” Frances added. “We crept in through the opening, and had to scrub ourselves right through the dirty chalk, and lor, we did make a mess of ourselves. But we got in and saw it all; we had to take a candle in a lantern round somebody’s neck. But it was really discovered [when] my brother was dropped down the dome with a light. He had been through it before, but had not told father.”

Regardless of the details behind the initial discovery, The Shell Grotto went on to make the news on May 22, 1838. That day, the Kentish Gazette newspaper revealed that members of the public would soon be allowed to visit the mysterious space. And close to 200 years later, it’s still open for people to marvel at when visiting Margate. But as we mentioned earlier, questions continue to be asked about it. You can certainly understand why: the grotto’s appearance is both wonderful and quite unique.

Why are answers so thin on the ground, though? You’d think after all this time that there would be some idea of The Shell Grotto’s origins and purpose, right? Yet that’s not the case. While experts have been able to take a closer look, they’ve been stopped in their tracks by certain complicating factors. It’s far from ideal for those desperate to crack the mystery, but there are plenty of theories out there trying to fill in the blanks.

Before we dive into them, though, we’ve got a question for you: do you fancy a tour of the dazzling cavern from the comfort of your chair? Awesome! The site can be found away from the hustle and bustle of Margate’s docks, sitting in a quiet residential area. The grotto itself has had private owners ever since it was first found. Meanwhile, the Historic England organization has been responsible for maintaining it for the last 50 years. You see, in 1973 the site received a “Grade I” listing.

Prior to entering The Shell Grotto, you’ll be welcomed into the Museum Room. Here, staff field questions about the main attraction before you make your way down. And that’s not all. As noted on the official website, “Our color panel greets visitors, made to demonstrate the bright colors of the grotto when it was first made. We encourage you to touch this panel. The grotto is very fragile and mustn’t be touched, so if you want to feel the mosaic, this is where to do it!”

So let’s get going. Once you leave the Museum Room, you’ll have to navigate a tight set of stairs that take you underground. As you reach the bottom, a “chalk passage” will then weave its way towards The Shell Grotto’s original opening, which resembles a winding corridor. By following this path, you’ll eventually enter a circular cavern with a column sitting in the middle. And now, no matter where you look, the sheer beauty of the place really comes into focus.

Shells dominate the walls, all laid out in incredible arrangements. In total, there’s roughly 4.6 million of them dotted around the space, and that isn’t hard to believe. They’re absolutely everywhere! But can anything be gleaned about the origins of the cavern by looking at the shells? We’d say so. The vast majority belonged to whelks, mussels, oysters, limpets, razor shells, and cockles, which can all be picked right across the United Kingdom. So whoever made this space used local materials.

As you look up, you’ll also notice that the shell patterns adorn the ceiling, too, while in front of you is another winding passageway. Before you go down there, though, take one more peek above you. You’ll spy a dome with a hole built in the middle of it, which allows natural light to flood into the grotto. It’s arguably the most stunning feature here, with the surrounding shell mosaics really catching the eye. 

But there’s still more to see! Moving away from the dome, you can follow the weaving path into the final area. And speculating about the original purpose of this room can really get the cogs whirring! Dubbed the Altar Chamber, it’s a space decorated by even more shells, with a semi-circle dug into what appears to be a shrine on the wall. Why would something like this have been built underground? What might it have been used for? It’s fascinating and eerie in equal measure. Plus, there’s another intriguing detail here, too.

While the majority of the shells around the grotto were most likely locally sourced, there are a few exceptions. And some of them can be found inside the Altar Chamber. Yes, queen conches form part of the decoration here: they don’t come from the United Kingdom. Instead, they’re native to the Caribbean. Could the original builders have traveled across the Atlantic to Margate? It can’t be ruled out as a possibility. Going back to the shells on the wall, though, something else might pique your curiosity.

How are the shells stuck to these subterranean surfaces? Well, hoping that it might lead to more answers about the grotto in general, a team took a sample from the walls. After analyzing it, they discovered that it was a “fish-based” mortar. That was about as much as the group could get out of it, so it proved a little frustrating. Still, it’s clearly sturdy stuff! But as you continue to gaze at the Altar Chamber, you might notice some damage in certain spots.

The vaulted ceiling and one of the walls in the far corner have suffered the most. What caused this? Unfortunately, despite having been hidden underground, The Shell Grotto still felt the effects of World War II thanks to bombing raids. Frankly, it’s amazing that the damage wasn’t even greater: it’s fortunate that the Altar Chamber — and the rest of the grotto — has survived relatively intact.

As we mentioned before, numerous theories have been put forward about The Shell Grotto over the years. With no firm answers to go on as to why it exists, they’re all we’ve got! Experts haven’t even been able to establish a concrete age for the subterranean space, although that’s not for a lack of trying. Unluckily for them, the initial influx of visitors nearly two centuries ago inadvertently ruined their chances of dating the materials.

What happened, then? Well, if you wanted to light up a dark space back in the 19th century, you had to make do with gas lamps. And plenty were needed to brighten the murky interior of The Shell Grotto: tours wouldn’t have been possible without them. But due to their constant use down there, today’s radiocarbon dating techniques won’t work properly. Alternative approaches have also been attempted, only to result in more disappointment. So how old could this cavern really be?

At most, some suggest that The Shell Grotto may be in the region of 3,000 years old. Imagine if that were the case! Theories have abounded that the cavern might’ve been built for religious reasons, with the appearance of the Altar Chamber backing that up. And thanks to the imagery, there’s an indication that it may well have Pagan-inspired. Mind you, there are alternative origin theories out there, too.

Some of the more colorful theories suggest that the grotto might have ties to the Knights Templar or local “sea witches.” Others have questioned if the Freemasons were involved, too. It can be very easy to fall down the rabbit hole here, but a few ideas do hold extra weight when compared to many of their counterparts. For instance, Margate was known as a bit of a smuggling hub in the past due to its position as a coastal town.

With that in mind, certain folks believe that The Shell Grotto was created as a smuggler’s cave during that period. Could that be possible? Considering the location of the site, there are a few doubters. It’s not that close to the docks, meaning thieves would have to travel a fair distance to move their stolen goods. Good luck being discreet! There aren’t any connecting passages, either, so we can understand why people struggle to accept that particular theory.

How about this one, though? Back in the 18th century, a fascinating craze swept through wealthy circles in the United Kingdom. After coming across “shell structures” while traveling the world, these folks felt the need to build their own in whatever free space they could find on their estates. And plenty of those ornamental constructions, otherwise referred to as follies, are still standing today. Might The Shell Grotto be another example of the fad? Appearance-wise, it certainly fits the description.

But there are some notable holes in this theory, too. As The Shell Grotto website argues, “The land the grotto lies under was farmland and, as far as we know, has never formed part of a large estate. So why would a rich man’s fancy be built under someone else’s pastureland?” It’s a good point! On top of that, the very fact that the cavern was built underground raises more questions. Follies were opulent declarations by homeowners: the last sort of thing you’d want to hide.

The website brought up another issue as well, stating, “If the grotto had been built in the 1700s, is it possible that all knowledge of it had disappeared by the time of its discovery in 1835? The building of the grotto would’ve been a mammoth task: the excavation of the passageways, transporting 4.6 million shells to the site, sorting those shells and enlisting enough labor to create the mosaic. How to do all this on rising open ground, next to a busy track without anyone noticing?”

The more you think about it, the less likely that theory becomes. Yet a potentially exciting development came to the fore in 2007. At that stage, a previously undiscovered cavern was located beneath one of Italy’s most famous landmarks: Palatine Hill. Upon closer inspection, the hidden space was seen to be decked out in shells and mosaic decorations that mirrored the style of The Shell Grotto. Now, the Phoenicians were behind this particular wonder. Could some have gone to Margate as they colonized parts of Europe?

That would be quite the breakthrough: too bad it can’t be proved! Anyway, regardless of all the unanswered questions and theories, The Shell Grotto hasn’t lost its ability to bring the crowds in from far and wide. But for a time, it looked as though the site might’ve been in danger of closing down as a tourist spot. And it wasn’t a result of World War II bomb damage: the interior conditions had eventually become a huge issue for all concerned.

Yes, during the 1990s it was discovered that The Shell Grotto had a “damp problem.” At first glance, that might not seem too severe, but additional moisture could wreak havoc on its interior. So with that in mind, English Heritage placed the popular site on the “Buildings at Risk” list. And it stayed there until 2012. Fortunately, some careful maintenance inside the cavern has since eliminated the issue. 

Happily, the caverns remain intact: from school trips to vacationing groups, The Shell Grotto is open for anyone who wants a taste of its jaw-dropping features. The prices are pretty reasonable, too. At present tickets for kids between the ages of four and 16 cost just under $2.50. As for adults, you’re looking at a figure of between $5 and $6. You’ve taken a virtual tour with us: why not sample the real thing if you can? It’ll be worth it.