Nothing grotto about Pope

Poet Alexander Pope was the archetypal small man with a big personality. Famous for his satirical poetry and translations of Homer, Pope bought a villa in Twickenham in 1719. He lived there for twenty five years, earning the moniker ‘The Bard of Twickenham’. 

Pope was a true eccentric, alienated from society by his religion, ill health and feelings of inadequacy over his height (he was only 4 foot 6 inches tall), he developed waspish habits and strange tendencies, including the desire, and means, to build a full grotto beneath the villa. He also had the land surrounding it beautifully landscaped to create a pleasure garden, which became the talk of the town.

The grotto was a place of absolute splendour, decorated with shells and glass which caught and reflected the dim light to create a magical effect. As Pope himself commented ‘Were it to have nymphs as well – it would be complete in everything’. Although the nymphs were absent, the Grotto was filled by the sound of running water, after the excavations for the feature struck an underground spring, adding to the peaceful atmosphere down there. It also featured a Camera Obscura, projecting images of Twickenham above on the walls around the grotto.

After 1739, Pope redecorated the Grotto to resemble a mine, after being inspired on a trip to Hotwell Spa at the Avon Gorge. He brought in precious ores, marble and alabaster and imported stalactites and stalagmites to create the desired industrial cave effect. Although the grotto’s appearance greatly changed, contemporary reports suggest its unusual and calm atmosphere largely remained untouched after the makeover.

Sadly Pope’s stunning Palladian Villa and the surrounding gardens were demolished around 1808. The Grotto remains, but now sits beneath what will be Radnor House Independent School from September 2011. It’s occasionally open to the public, but chances are rare, and likely to become more so as the house above comes back to life next year. 

 

Luckily, an equally fantastic Grotto is open to the public in Ware, just outside London. Scott’s Grotto dates from a similar period and had functioned as a garden folly and talking point, just like Pope’s in Twickenham.

It does seem Twickenham attracted eccentric builders, as just down the road from the Grotto is the superb Gothic castle Strawberry Hill, built by Horace Walpole. This is open to the public, recently restored and well worth a visit!

For more hidden London, visit London Treasure Hunts.