Post by theshee on Jan 18, 2011 2:19:06 GMT 10
The Grotto’s discovery in 1835 came as a complete surprise to the people of Margate; it had never been marked on any map and there had been no tales of its construction told around the town. But James Newlove could clearly see the commercial potential of his find and he immediately set about preparations to open the Grotto up to the public.
The first paying customers descended the chalk stairway in 1837 and debate has raged about the Grotto’s origins ever since: for every expert who believes it to be an ancient temple, there’s someone else convinced it was the meeting place for a secret sect; for every ardent pagan, there’s a Regency folly-monger ready to spoil their fun. At first glance the Grotto’s design only adds to the confusion, with humble cockles, whelks, mussels and oysters creating a swirling profusion of patterns and symbols. There are trees of life, phalluses, gods, goddesses and something that looks very like an altar.
The most recent findings point to the Grotto functioning as a sun temple, the sun entering the Dome (which extends up to ground level, with a small circular opening) just before the Spring Equinox, forming a dramatic alignment at midday on the Summer Solstice and departing just after the Autumn Equinox, thus indicating the fertile season.
However, there’s only one fact about the Grotto that is indisputable: that it is a unique work of art that should be valued and preserved, whatever its age or origins.
A popular theory with some, who cite the popularity of follies and shell structures in the 1700s. There are lots of them dotted around the country, largely in the grounds of stately homes, and this is certainly a convenient theory but one that is flawed because:
• The land the Grotto lies under was farmland and has certainly never formed part of a large estate. So why would a rich man’s fancy be built under someone else’s pastureland?
• Follies were built as a statement: look at how much money I have, look at how cultured I am, look at me! In general, they weren’t secret, hidden away places. And they weren’t built under a farmer’s field.
• Crucially, if the Grotto had been built in the 1700s how could all knowledge of it have disappeared by the time of its discovery in 1835? The building of the Grotto would have been a mammoth task: the excavation of the passageways, transporting 4.6 million shells to the site, sorting those shells and enlisting enough labour to create the mosaic. How to do all this on rising open ground, next to a busy track without anyone noticing? Every townsperson would have had to be in on the secret and not breathed a word about it.
There was certainly a good deal of smuggling going on in and around Margate but it’s impossible to imagine the Grotto being a useful hiding place. For one thing, it’s a fair distance inland from the coast with no tunnels extending to or from the cliffs, nor any providing entrance or escape routes to nearby houses. The idea that smugglers would bring their booty to an exposed field doesn’t hold water. And why decorate it with millions of shells?
The shells can't be carbon dated because they are covered in soot – ie carbon – from the gas lamps used to light the Grotto in Victorian times. Carbon dating was attempted, but the results proved too unreliable because of these carbon deposits.
What sticks the shells to the chalk?
We don’t know exactly. The glue is fish based and contains volcanic elements, but also has ingredients that have yet to be identified. Whatever it is, it works pretty well!
Who owns the Grotto?
The Grotto has been in private hands since its discovery and remains so today. However, being a Grade 1 listed structure, English Heritage watches over its preservation. The continuing damp problem prompted English Heritage to enter it onto the Buildings at Risk register in the 1990s.
A description of the cave from an academic point of view is in the article by R.F. LeGear, The Margate Shell Grotto www.kentarchaeology.ac/authors/023.pdf
An interesting theory about the history of the grotto is presented by mr Mick Twyman, The Mystery of Margate´s Shell Temple www.shellgrotto.co.uk/pdf/twymanarticle.pdf
Mr Twyman, who is related to the Margate Historical Society, measured the lay out of the decoration in the dome in relation with the passage of the sunbeams that enter the dome through the small circular opening in the top of it, which made him conclude that equinox-compatibility was happening in approximately 1141 (there are shelves of books about the "precession of the equinox", in case you would be interested to learn more about this phenomenon).
This might be an indication of the time the grotto was decorated. The patterns in the mosaic made him think this site was a hide-out or temple of the Knights Templar.
The grotto itself might be older, its origins may be going back to neolithic times www.shellgrotto.co.uk/pdf/taylorarticle.pdf
In 2008 an association, Friends of the Grotto, has been formed, to promote the Grotto as a unique historical monument.
The Grotto is classified, so British Heritage hopefully will take care of it´s future preservation.
MARGATE CAVE
Not far from the Shell Grotto, there is another grotto, called Margate Cave. This one, however, since 2006 is closed for the public because of safety problems. The origins of these caves, which are not natural but built by man, is shrouded in mystery. The caves may take their name from Vortigern, who supposedly gave the area around Margate to the Saxons as a reward for helping him fight the Picts and Scots. Rediscovered by accident in 1798, the caves are considered by some to be of Saxon origin, consisting of a series of natural passages, which have been artificially enlarged. However, few experts think these 'artificial cavities' (as they are called) go back that far. The first time they appear in history is fairly recent. The guide book would have the visitor believe that the caves are over a 1000 years old and possible even of Phoenician origin! The more likely explanation would perhaps be a more modest medieval origin, or even a Georgian folly. Locally they put the Shell Grotto down as a Victorian folly built at a time when the local shell fish industry would have produced enough shells for them to be freely available (being a by-product).
Somewhere near the close of the 18th Century, a man of eccentric habits, named Francis Forster, built a large house in Margate which he named after the county of his birth - Northumberland House. In or about the year 1798 his gardener, digging behind the house, made the discovery of the Caves. A private entrance was cut. It was during this time that the cave murals were created. In 1914, a new entrance was made from the cellar of the vicarage and this is the entrance used today.
Description
Margate Caves is a small cave, a single tunnel only, consisting of the steep entrance, leading up to a circular chamber called the 'Rotunda', a kind of roundabout. Beyond that is the 'Serpentine Passage' to a rectacular room called the 'Altar Chamber', which terminates the cave at the far end.
The Shell Grotto, being much larger, is a series of large rooms, artificially hewn out of the soft chalk, for reasons unknown. It quite looks like an old chalk quarry, but that does not mean that the caves were created for that purpose. Most of the explanations are interesting but not very plausible. Such explanations include use as a Dungeon, a Smuggler's Hideout and a Georgian Folly.
The cavern dubbed as 'Dungeon' is a curious double chambered excavation below the floor of the main cave. It certainly was not a mining operation but the original purpose is not known. Also, for primary use as a dungeon it is not convincing. The cave is not very usefull for smugglers either, as there is no connection to the sea, and the only way to get into the caves originally was down a shaft, which would not fascilitate the stealthy use needed for smuggling operations
A folly, then? In the 18th century, a man of eccentric habits, named Francis Forster, built a large house in Margate. He named it 'Northumberland House' after the county of his birth. In or about the year 1798 his gardener, digging behind the house, (re)discovered the caves. Soon after a personal entrance to the caves was cut. Were these caves actually present at the time, or were they dug by Forster himself? Against this last explanation surely speak that such an operation would hardly have gone unnoticed in the town at the time.
In 1914, a new entrance was made from the cellar of the vicarage, which is the entrance used today. The vicarage (being integrated as part of Northumberland House) was part of Northumberland House and was destroyed during World War II. The original entrance was a simple shaft from the cellars, and a steep flight of stairs takes the visitor down to the main cave today.
The conclusion, then, is that the evidence must be inconclusive. A use before 1798 must be accepted, but then any use must have been so far back in time, that it does not show up in any record. That should take us back, at least, into the Middle Ages, but I would even make a (very) bold suggestion here, and propose an origin of some of the caves (a mining purpose, in that case) dating back to Roman times, though I realise that any evidence for this would be next to impossible to retrieve.
Very interesting features are definitely several cave paintings in the Shell Grotto, created after the rediscovery. One is called the Thanet Giant. According to folklore, they were painted by a local artist named Brazier, but whoever he was: in order to obtain a surface on which to paint, the painter smoothened the great chalk wall. To many modern archeologists this act is nothing less than vandalism, or at least a wilful act of destruction of cultural heritage. However, this modern viewpoint was not a concern for anyone at the time: he therefore innocently destroyed many interesting and valuable tool marks by this action. Some of the artworks created by him, or at another time are unusual paintings, such as that of two somewhat faded soldiers in the uniform of the era of George III. They appear to be guarding, one on each side, the entrance to a narrow and gloomy passage. Vortigern's secret passage, perhaps?
www.showcaves.com/english/gb/misc/Margate.html
The first paying customers descended the chalk stairway in 1837 and debate has raged about the Grotto’s origins ever since: for every expert who believes it to be an ancient temple, there’s someone else convinced it was the meeting place for a secret sect; for every ardent pagan, there’s a Regency folly-monger ready to spoil their fun. At first glance the Grotto’s design only adds to the confusion, with humble cockles, whelks, mussels and oysters creating a swirling profusion of patterns and symbols. There are trees of life, phalluses, gods, goddesses and something that looks very like an altar.
The most recent findings point to the Grotto functioning as a sun temple, the sun entering the Dome (which extends up to ground level, with a small circular opening) just before the Spring Equinox, forming a dramatic alignment at midday on the Summer Solstice and departing just after the Autumn Equinox, thus indicating the fertile season.
However, there’s only one fact about the Grotto that is indisputable: that it is a unique work of art that should be valued and preserved, whatever its age or origins.
A popular theory with some, who cite the popularity of follies and shell structures in the 1700s. There are lots of them dotted around the country, largely in the grounds of stately homes, and this is certainly a convenient theory but one that is flawed because:
• The land the Grotto lies under was farmland and has certainly never formed part of a large estate. So why would a rich man’s fancy be built under someone else’s pastureland?
• Follies were built as a statement: look at how much money I have, look at how cultured I am, look at me! In general, they weren’t secret, hidden away places. And they weren’t built under a farmer’s field.
• Crucially, if the Grotto had been built in the 1700s how could all knowledge of it have disappeared by the time of its discovery in 1835? The building of the Grotto would have been a mammoth task: the excavation of the passageways, transporting 4.6 million shells to the site, sorting those shells and enlisting enough labour to create the mosaic. How to do all this on rising open ground, next to a busy track without anyone noticing? Every townsperson would have had to be in on the secret and not breathed a word about it.
There was certainly a good deal of smuggling going on in and around Margate but it’s impossible to imagine the Grotto being a useful hiding place. For one thing, it’s a fair distance inland from the coast with no tunnels extending to or from the cliffs, nor any providing entrance or escape routes to nearby houses. The idea that smugglers would bring their booty to an exposed field doesn’t hold water. And why decorate it with millions of shells?
The shells can't be carbon dated because they are covered in soot – ie carbon – from the gas lamps used to light the Grotto in Victorian times. Carbon dating was attempted, but the results proved too unreliable because of these carbon deposits.
What sticks the shells to the chalk?
We don’t know exactly. The glue is fish based and contains volcanic elements, but also has ingredients that have yet to be identified. Whatever it is, it works pretty well!
Who owns the Grotto?
The Grotto has been in private hands since its discovery and remains so today. However, being a Grade 1 listed structure, English Heritage watches over its preservation. The continuing damp problem prompted English Heritage to enter it onto the Buildings at Risk register in the 1990s.
A description of the cave from an academic point of view is in the article by R.F. LeGear, The Margate Shell Grotto www.kentarchaeology.ac/authors/023.pdf
An interesting theory about the history of the grotto is presented by mr Mick Twyman, The Mystery of Margate´s Shell Temple www.shellgrotto.co.uk/pdf/twymanarticle.pdf
Mr Twyman, who is related to the Margate Historical Society, measured the lay out of the decoration in the dome in relation with the passage of the sunbeams that enter the dome through the small circular opening in the top of it, which made him conclude that equinox-compatibility was happening in approximately 1141 (there are shelves of books about the "precession of the equinox", in case you would be interested to learn more about this phenomenon).
This might be an indication of the time the grotto was decorated. The patterns in the mosaic made him think this site was a hide-out or temple of the Knights Templar.
The grotto itself might be older, its origins may be going back to neolithic times www.shellgrotto.co.uk/pdf/taylorarticle.pdf
In 2008 an association, Friends of the Grotto, has been formed, to promote the Grotto as a unique historical monument.
The Grotto is classified, so British Heritage hopefully will take care of it´s future preservation.
MARGATE CAVE
Not far from the Shell Grotto, there is another grotto, called Margate Cave. This one, however, since 2006 is closed for the public because of safety problems. The origins of these caves, which are not natural but built by man, is shrouded in mystery. The caves may take their name from Vortigern, who supposedly gave the area around Margate to the Saxons as a reward for helping him fight the Picts and Scots. Rediscovered by accident in 1798, the caves are considered by some to be of Saxon origin, consisting of a series of natural passages, which have been artificially enlarged. However, few experts think these 'artificial cavities' (as they are called) go back that far. The first time they appear in history is fairly recent. The guide book would have the visitor believe that the caves are over a 1000 years old and possible even of Phoenician origin! The more likely explanation would perhaps be a more modest medieval origin, or even a Georgian folly. Locally they put the Shell Grotto down as a Victorian folly built at a time when the local shell fish industry would have produced enough shells for them to be freely available (being a by-product).
Somewhere near the close of the 18th Century, a man of eccentric habits, named Francis Forster, built a large house in Margate which he named after the county of his birth - Northumberland House. In or about the year 1798 his gardener, digging behind the house, made the discovery of the Caves. A private entrance was cut. It was during this time that the cave murals were created. In 1914, a new entrance was made from the cellar of the vicarage and this is the entrance used today.
Description
Margate Caves is a small cave, a single tunnel only, consisting of the steep entrance, leading up to a circular chamber called the 'Rotunda', a kind of roundabout. Beyond that is the 'Serpentine Passage' to a rectacular room called the 'Altar Chamber', which terminates the cave at the far end.
The Shell Grotto, being much larger, is a series of large rooms, artificially hewn out of the soft chalk, for reasons unknown. It quite looks like an old chalk quarry, but that does not mean that the caves were created for that purpose. Most of the explanations are interesting but not very plausible. Such explanations include use as a Dungeon, a Smuggler's Hideout and a Georgian Folly.
The cavern dubbed as 'Dungeon' is a curious double chambered excavation below the floor of the main cave. It certainly was not a mining operation but the original purpose is not known. Also, for primary use as a dungeon it is not convincing. The cave is not very usefull for smugglers either, as there is no connection to the sea, and the only way to get into the caves originally was down a shaft, which would not fascilitate the stealthy use needed for smuggling operations
A folly, then? In the 18th century, a man of eccentric habits, named Francis Forster, built a large house in Margate. He named it 'Northumberland House' after the county of his birth. In or about the year 1798 his gardener, digging behind the house, (re)discovered the caves. Soon after a personal entrance to the caves was cut. Were these caves actually present at the time, or were they dug by Forster himself? Against this last explanation surely speak that such an operation would hardly have gone unnoticed in the town at the time.
In 1914, a new entrance was made from the cellar of the vicarage, which is the entrance used today. The vicarage (being integrated as part of Northumberland House) was part of Northumberland House and was destroyed during World War II. The original entrance was a simple shaft from the cellars, and a steep flight of stairs takes the visitor down to the main cave today.
The conclusion, then, is that the evidence must be inconclusive. A use before 1798 must be accepted, but then any use must have been so far back in time, that it does not show up in any record. That should take us back, at least, into the Middle Ages, but I would even make a (very) bold suggestion here, and propose an origin of some of the caves (a mining purpose, in that case) dating back to Roman times, though I realise that any evidence for this would be next to impossible to retrieve.
Very interesting features are definitely several cave paintings in the Shell Grotto, created after the rediscovery. One is called the Thanet Giant. According to folklore, they were painted by a local artist named Brazier, but whoever he was: in order to obtain a surface on which to paint, the painter smoothened the great chalk wall. To many modern archeologists this act is nothing less than vandalism, or at least a wilful act of destruction of cultural heritage. However, this modern viewpoint was not a concern for anyone at the time: he therefore innocently destroyed many interesting and valuable tool marks by this action. Some of the artworks created by him, or at another time are unusual paintings, such as that of two somewhat faded soldiers in the uniform of the era of George III. They appear to be guarding, one on each side, the entrance to a narrow and gloomy passage. Vortigern's secret passage, perhaps?
www.showcaves.com/english/gb/misc/Margate.html