A grotto has been defined as ‘the kind of place where you feel comfortable, cosy and protected from the harsh realities outside.’ The word grotto was originally Greek; it then turned into Latin, then Italian, and finally English in the 1600s when it became a garden feature.

Pontypool Grotto has been rated the best surviving shell grotto in Wales and was originally constructed in about 1794 for the Hanbury family. Situated 700 feet above sea level on the ridge above Pontypool Park it can only be accessed by walking and this involves a steep climb from Pontypool Park.

There are breathtaking views over the Hanbury estate and into eastern Monmouthshire and it is well worth a visit on a summer weekend when it is open to the public.

Molly, the wife of Capel Hanbury Leigh who was Lord Lieutenant of the county and owner of Pontypool Park, is credited with the establishment of this grotto. She had previously married Sir Humphrey Mackworth who died in Spain in 1795. As she had a similar grotto at the Knoll, their home in the Neath Valley, Molly obviously decided that Pontypool Estate should have one as well.

A dubious story is told of how Molly Hanbury Leigh was travelling in France and came across a hermit whom she brought back to Pontypool where he was given the task of decorating the interior of the Grotto. He is reputed to have spent many years on this project, during which time he is said to have lived inside the building whilst undertaking the interior decoration.

The designer was probably the Bath architect, Stephen Gunstan Tit and it was erected between 1830 and 1840. It is circular in shape, 20in diameter, built of local sandstone, with a conical tiled roof, fan vaulted inside and supported by six pillars. The walls and ceiling have been decorated with thousands of shells which include mussels, periwinkles, cockles and limpets, were largely brought from the West Wales coast.

In addition there are stalactites, transferred from local caves and clusters of spar and minerals. Animal bones from mainly horses, sheep and deer that used to roam the Park Estate have been arranged on the floor in geometric patterns, stars and a ring of hearts and diamonds.

On the decorated walls, one particular item known as the altar is constructed from stone, stalactite, pebbles and shells. An enormous turtle is seen climbing the wall and a sinister looking serpent, a lizard and snakes formed from branches leer out from the shadows.

The Hanbury family used the Grotto as a summer house and a venue for their shooting party lunches and it is of interest that the first royal visitor was the Prince of Wales (later crowned Edward VII), who in 1882, was taken on a pheasant shoot in the Park by Squire John Hanbury.

Only about a dozen of such unusual buildings are known to exist in Wales, so this curiosity is very special. It is only open on rare occasions such as Bank Holidays, by Pontypool Park Friends and staffed by knowledgeable volunteers.

By the 1990s the grotto was in a poor state and had also been vandalised. Funded by Cadw, restoration was undertaken in 1993/4 over a period of 8 months. In 1995 further finance was secured, also a Heritage Lottery Grant of £30,000 and the European Regional Development Fund. It was one of the first schemes in Wales to receive a Heritage Lottery Grant and this enabled restoration of the shell interior to be carried out in 1996.

At the end of May 1997 the Grotto was re-opened to the public by Kath Edmunds, Mayor of Torfaen, and the completion of this restoration project was celebrated with a mock 1830s picnic involving actors dressed as members of the Hanbury family.

Dewstow Gardens Grotto, to the south of Caerwent, is a beautiful and fascinating place to visit, consisting of a labyrinth of underground grottoes, tunnels and sunken ferneries, which were buried under thousands of tons of soil for over 50 years.

This Edwardian garden was established around 1895 in the grounds of Dewstow House which dates from the early 19th century. It was Henry Oakley, a director of the Great Western Railway who bought the property in 1893 and commissioned the eminent London landscaper, James Pulham & Son to create the gardens as a labyrinth. Some of the tunnels and caverns were left dark and others lit by glazed skylights. Pulhamite, a mixture of rubble, brick and concrete render , which resembles volcanic rock was used to make artificial stalactites

Henry Oakley who bought the Dewstow Estate at the age of 30 lived there until his death in 1940 and the gardens began to fall into decline with sections above ground filled in and the underground caverns buried just after World War Two. Matters were made even worse in the1960s when soil removed from cuttings for the M4 motorway was dumped on the site.

It was not until 2001 that this unique underground garden was discovered when the property was purchased by the Harris family. Following a period of reconstruction at a cost of more than £250,000 the network of rock gardens, water features and ornamental areas was given a Grade I listing by Cadw which emphasises that it is a garden of national importance. It is certainly unique in Monmouthshire and there is nothing like it anywhere else in the UK.

There are beautifully landscaped paths, waterfalls, pools and steps leading down to dimly lit grottoes in which stepping stones provide routes over fast flowing water, passing man-made ‘stalactites’ moss covered rocks and exotic ferns.

It is only when you go below the gardens and enter the subterranean world underneath that you can begin to understand the extent of the vision and enormous amount of work and skills involved in creating this unique 20th Century garden.

Sadly, the owners recently announced that Dewstow Gardens and the remarkable Grotto is now permanently closed to visitors after 20 years of operation. I am so pleased that I went there about five years ago and took photographs of this remarkable visitor attraction.