Explore a grotto near Flintshire where carvings of mythical creatures and demons create an eerie, unforgettable experience.
A skeletal face looks like “The Scream.” In the 1800s, they changed the caves into a grotto. Shells and quartz cover walls in one room. Above is a small tower, now hidden by ivy.
A historian thinks madness helped create this place. He calls it atmospheric and remarkable. He has visited it many times. Sunlight once streamed inside, reflecting off shells. There were no trees, so the tower had great views.
Now, trees block the light. Being there alone feels unsettling. It’s better to visit with friends. The grotto and tower sit on old mansion grounds. The mansion was from the 1600s and got rebuilt later.
The family sold it in the 1900s. The building has recent updates. The grotto is left wild. Overgrowth hides the tower. Vines cover an ornate entrance.
Stone steps reach a first-floor room. It had a fireplace and might have been a parlor. Window frames lost their glass. They once showed the Flintshire coast. It is not safe now.
The parlor’s floor collapsed. Nowell thinks a table fell through. He warns of many dangers. Multiple entrances lead to a maze of rooms. All chambers became a grotto. Nowell believes a wild mind created it.
The grotto was a party spot 150 years ago. Stone carvings of nymphs, demons, and devils are everywhere. Candles and lanterns lit the place. The shell chamber glowed. A lion carving once breathed smoke. A furnace made the smoke.
Time changed the grotto’s feel. The carvings are worn. Jungle plants surround the tower and grotto. Visitors now sense “weird vibes.” Spiders lurk and water drips. A nearby graveyard has rusting crosses.
Locals know and like this strange place. A path goes nearby, but the paths are unclear. That’s why the location stays secret. People still visit often. There is no graffiti, but trash exists. Candles often flicker inside.
Time harms it most, said Nowell, a history teacher. The tower may soon collapse since stones are soft. Roots damage everything. The grotto’s figures are worn. There is a general neglect of it.
It is not legally protected. So, it falls apart. This is sad because locals care. People should see it. But, one visitor dislikes it. She said it felt creepy after bees stung her. Another loves finding new things there. She wishes someone would care for it.