The Weird And Wonderful History Of Grotto Passage

So many of London’s dark and narrow alleyways have amazing stories to tell. Grotto Passage in Marylebone is no different.

As you walk along Paddington Street, keep your eyes peeled for a very slim doorway-like opening with a sign for Grotto Passage.

Blink and you’ll miss it, it slinks between the shops and houses, before widening into a courtyard.

As ever with London’s quirky street names there is fascinating story behind it.

Grotto Passage

The name Grotto Passage takes us back over 250 years to when this area was pretty much entirely fields and to a man named John Castles: an 18th century shell artist and grotto builder.

In his early years of shell work John presented King George III with an intricate royal coat of arms made from shells.

Word quickly spread of his talents. He was later commissioned to build a shell-grotto for, the first Prime Minister of Great Britain, Sir Robert Walpole, in the Royal Hospital Garden at Chelsea.

shell house grosvenor gardens london — _{A shell house in Grosvenor Gardens- more on this further down.}

A Grotto/Shell-house

Before we continue, let me quickly explain what I mean by a ‘grotto’.

Shell-houses and grottos were essentially cave-like structures, rooms or huts, often lined or decorated with shells.

Popular in Ancient Rome as shrines, grottos regained popularity in 16th century Italy, during the Renaissance.

The idea spread to England along with Enlightenment ideals in the 17th and 18th centuries. The first grotto recorded in England is in 1624, when James I had a shell grotto constructed in his drinking den underneath Banqueting House in Whitehall. Unfortunately it has not survived.

shell grotto goldney hall — _{The shell grotto at Goldney Hall, Bristol. Built 1737. Photo by Chris Drake from wikimedia commons}

They became all the rage amongst the upper classes in the 18th century.

scott's grotto — _{Scott’s Grotto, Hertfordshire. Photo from Mike Quinn, from wikimedia commons.}

Many of the grand country houses of the time had a grotto or shell-house in the grounds.

Poet Alexander Pope had a grotto in the basement of his villa in Twickenham built in 1720. The Palladian villa is long gone but the extensive, cavernous, shell-encrusted grotto remains.

Another early 18th century grotto that partially survives in London is the one in Carshalton Park, pictured below. Its ceiling was once covered in shells.

Watch a video about the restoration of a shell-grotto at St Giles House in Dorset here.

The Great Grotto in Marylebone

But, back to John Castles. He wanted to capitalise on his fame and talents and in 1737 leased an acre and a half of land, where Grotto Passage now stands.

The land was located directly opposite the entrance to the Marylebone Pleasure Gardens that had opened that same year. Pleasure gardens were very popular, out of town spots for drinking, music and socialising in 18th century London.

On this plot of land John set up what he called the ‘Great Grotto’. It was essentially a wonderland where he exhibited his art works, shell-covered huts, grottos along with food and entertainment.

He initially charged 1 shilling for entry but this was raised to half a crown when it became so popular that members of the Royal family started attending. Being a shrewd businessman he naturally changed the name to the ‘Royal Grotto’ to help justify the increase in price.

grotto passage history — _{The location of the Great Grotto and Marylebone Gardens. John Roque’s 1746 map- from Layers of London}

John Castles died in 1757 and the grotto closed two years later. By the end of the 18th century the land was mostly built over with housing with the name of this passageway the only reminder of the weird and wonderful site.

In Lower Grosvenor Gardens in Belgravia you can find two shell huts built in 1952.

They were part of a project to re-landscape the gardens in a French style to honour Anglo-French relations and specifically WW1 commander Marshall Foch, a statue of whom is in the gardens.

The Ragged School

Walk down Grotto Passage and after you emerge from the darkness of the covered section, Grotto Passage widens in the middle. Here you will find a historical gem.

In 1846 the Grotto Passage Ragged and Industrial School was established here, with the current building dating from 1860. Ragged schools were Victorian charitable institutions for the education of destitute children. By 1848 there were around 60 in London.

ragged school london — _{A wood-engraving depiction of a Ragged School in Lambeth in 1846}

The school expanded over the following years to include various classes, including infant school, evening school and a refuge for orphans. Children would be taught reading, writing and industrial skills such as needlework for the girls and shoemaking, wood-cutting and paper bag making for the boys.

A report from 1856 states that 209 boys had been admitted by that date and ‘of these, 62 have been sent to Australia; 34 to Canada; 55 have entered the royal navy; 36 the merchant service; and 10 various kinds of service at home. Total, 197.‘

I am not sure how well the school was fulfilling its brief if it just sent most of the boys overseas…

With the growth in publicly provided education towards the end of the 19th century, Ragged schools were no longer needed and it became a refuge for those down on their luck. On the Ordnance Survey Map below from 1893-6 you can see it labelled ‘Home for Lads’.