In 1835 a laborer in England accidentally broke through the ground into a series of subterranean chambers covered with mosaics made from seashells- millions of them. The site was purchased and turned into a tourist attraction, but its origins are still a mystery almost 200 years later.
Shell grottoes of this type were extremely popular in the Europe of the 1700s. Many suppose that this was the result of a local bigwig embarking on the Grand Tour and returning with a desire to recreate a highlight of his or her European expedition. Yet although this is not without the realms of possibility, the land above the grotto never formed part of any large estate, which is where you would expect such an extravagance to be positioned – close enough to the big house to easily chaperone curious guests to its confines. These visitors would be impressed both by the owner’s wealth and aesthetics because, frankly, this kind of thing was built to do both.
Why would anyone build such an elaborate grotto and keep it a secret? Your guess is as good as mine, but you can find out what we do know, and see lots of pictures at Kuriositas. -via Digg
(Image credit: Flickr user Ben Sutherland)