This is Margate’s Shell Grotto. Sadly but also curiously we know very little about the Grotto. It was first “discovered” in 1835, but we cannot be sure as to whether it was known about before this time. It was found during some excavations when a gentleman purchased a nearby cottage. We do not know who built the Grotto and we do not know when but we do have a few clues. The Grotto is elaborately decorated with over 4.6 million shells from the local beaches and contains designs of flora, gods and