4.6 million shells. 2000 sqft of mosaic. 70ft of tunnels. 1 subterranean mystery. 🐚✨ Open to enquiring minds since 1838.
Grotto Hill, Margate, Kent
Joined August 2012
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We’ve packed the van up and we’re moving away from X. If you want to keep in touch, Insta or FB is where you’ll find us … even better, sign up to our monthly newsletter - shellgrotto.co.uk/sign-up
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Join us this weekend for vintage fashion, homewares, vinyl and more, with lots of new sellers to discover, check out the Margate Flea Insta for some sneak peaks. instagram.com/margateflea/
Free entry to the Flea
Open Sat 22nd & Sun 23rd 11am - 4pm #margateflea #springflea #margate
In 1885, renowned novelist Marie Corelli referred to the Shell Grotto as 'one of the wonders of the world'. And last week, 140 years later, we're thrilled to be listed in @guardian's top 10 wonders of the world, as nominated by one of its readers! 📰 💗🐚
theguardian.com/travel/2025/…
Did you catch the Grotto on Channel 5's ‘Kent: The Garden of England’ the other week? Our brilliant conservators Rob and Kurtis were on hand to show the cameras around and explain the restoration process.
📺 Watch it now: bit.ly/4hjIv9G
You can learn more about our conservation programme and sponsor your very own piece of the Grotto here: shellgrotto.co.uk/support ✨
"That's the thing about unsolved mysteries - they leave a space where multiple realities are simultaneously possible."
A superb article about the Grotto in @nytimes this week from Gabrielle Schwarz, who appreciates the power of uncertainty. 📰✨
nytimes.com/2024/10/15/magaz…
Shell Grotto retweeted
More people need to see this: The truly impressive, but largely unknown @shellgrotto in Margate. Who built it, when and why? And how many tea breaks were required before it was completed? #gotothegrotto #cliftonville #cliftonville #margate #walpolebay
100 yays of summer: your ultimate guide to summer experiences, all accessible by train - great to see the Shell Grotto included in this Time Out list of best places to visit by rail 🐚
timeout.com/uk/things-to-do/…
The countdown is on to our summer exhibition, featuring new works from artist Graham Ward inspired by his fascination with pilgrimage.
Explore the world of St James & pilgrim shells & discover the lost art of building grottas to mark the saint's day.
From 27 July – 1 September
'I had seen pictures of the Grotto, but things are always different when you see it with your own eyes.'
Reporter Hedi Mehrez reviews the Shell Grotto for KentLive 🐚
kentlive.news/whats-on/whats…
The Libertines’ Carl Barât on His Favourite Places in Margate - with a special mention for the 'badass' Shell Grotto🐚
'I think what makes it special is that no one really knows how it got there or what it is.'
timeout.com/uk/news/the-libe…
Design and print your own decorative Easter egg inspired by the Grotto’s incredible shell mosaics!
Artist @DawnMCole will be joining us on Weds & Thurs to run the family-friendly printing workshops. Activities run from 10-12 and are included with entry. Hope to see you soon!
Design and print your own decorative Easter egg inspired by our shell mosaics 🐚
Artist @DawnMCole will be running printing workshops 10am - 12pm on Weds & Thurs this week and next. Activities are free with entry to the Grotto. All welcome!
Our shell ladies are looking rather splendid in their Easter bonnets 🐚🌸
Shell ladies have been sold as souvenirs in #Margate since Victorian times & we’re proud to continue that tradition.
We’re open daily 10-5, until 14 April. Hope to see you soon!
Here comes the sun! 🌞
A little optimistic perhaps, but it's spring equinox, which means that spring has officially sprung. It also means the start of spring opening hours at the Grotto. From today we're open daily, 10-5, all through the Easter holidays until Sunday 14 April 🐚
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We’ve recovered a collection of globally important shells from Captain Cook’s fated third voyage, previously thought to have been lost for 40 years 🐚
See them on display at Chesters Roman Fort in Northumberland for the first time in 100 years 📍 👀
➡️ bit.ly/3Ta3j8A
To 'shell-ebrate' all the wonderful mums out there on #MothersDay, we’re gifting every mum a free pearl troca shell when they visit the Grotto this Sunday with a paying ‘child’ - whether that child is 4, 24 or 64! We're open from 11am-4pm🐚
Shell Grotto retweeted
Yesterday the RNLI celebrated 200 years of keeping people safe in UK waters, having saved almost 150,000 people in that time from losing their lives at sea.
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