People Are Flocking To This British Cultural Treasure In Attempts To Solve A Mystery
Famously known as The Garden of England, the fertile farmland and sleepy villages of Kent make up a proud part of British heritage. But this county is also home to a fascinating mystery that’s close to 200 years old: The Shell Grotto. This enchanting subterranean space has confounded people ever since its discovery. When was it made? Why is it even there? Despite its dazzling appearance, answers to these questions are hard to come by.
Humble fishing town
While Margate is a popular destination today for those who like relaxed seaside resorts, that wasn’t always the case. Hundreds of years ago, the coastal town was merely a humble fishing spot, with residences scattered around the docks. At that stage, the only real building of note was St. John’s Church. Sat atop a rise looking over the rest of the community, it boasted architecture that could be partially traced back to the 1300s. Yet things started to change significantly in the area towards the middle of the 18th century.
Margate’s growth
During the 1730s a trend for bathing in the sea became fashionable; naturally Margate proved an ideal location. People began to flock to the town, and over the years it slowly transformed into a bustling hotspot. But while the community continued to thrive thanks to the influx of tourists, a local family stumbled upon something further inland that left their jaws hanging. And as the story goes, it was found by sheer chance.
A mysterious opening
Now, the details of the discovery do differ a touch depending on where you look, but the majority of reports date the action to the year 1835. At that time, a man named James Newlove had been excavating earth on land near his home, intending to create a duck pond. Joshua, his young son, was helping out as well. According to one account, during the dig James’ shovel suddenly met no resistance, revealing a hole leading into a dark subterranean space.
An eye-popping discovery
With the pair understandably curious as to what was down there, Joshua was lowered down on a rope by his father: both were amazed by what he found. You see, this wasn’t just a plain cave. Remarkably, they’d uncovered a spectacular grotto that boasted elaborate shell decorations along its walls. Mind you, James’ daughter later shared a very different account of the discovery: she suggested Joshua had already known about the grotto beforehand.
