Pope's Grotto open day

Pope's Grotto, in Radnor House School, will be open 13 days in 2024, and this is one of the open days.

Alexander Pope’s Grotto is the last remaining part of his famous villa and gardens, which he built in 1720 on the banks of the Thames at Twickenham. A mine of minerals gathered from all parts of the world, it is listed as Grade 2* and as Heritage at Risk ‘Of outstanding national importance’. It is loaded with significance for British culture and for the birth of the English Landscape Garden Movement, described by Mavis Batey as ‘A seminal event in in the 18th century search to establish man’s relationship to nature’.

Demolished in 1808, the villa was replaced and the property became the subject of much redevelopment over the following 200 years. In 1996 St James’s Independent School for Boys acquired the estate, remaining for 14 years, during which time a Charitable Trust was created to preserve the grotto. The current owner, Radnor House School, arrived in 2010 and has committed wholeheartedly to the project of conservation and to the activities surrounding it.

Tickets are untimed and you will be able explore the Grotto in your own time. Please note that space in the Grotto is limited and you may be asked to wait at peak times.

We regret that due to the location of Pope’s Grotto, there is no disabled access. Please be aware that access to the Grotto is via stairs and that the Grotto floor is uneven. We request that visitors wear flat shoes.

Some tickets may be available at the door on the day, but you are advised to book in advance to avoid disappointment.