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Explore Painshill

The Crystal Grotto

  • Sun shining in Crystal Grotto
  • Crystal Grotto exterior
  • Crystal Grotto from the outside
  • White ceiling of Crystal Grotto
  • Crystal Grotto ceiling light

About

A highlight of any day out at Painshill, the Crystal Grotto is a place where you will not want to put your camera down. Children are captivated and adults stand in awe of the incredible man-made feature.

The spectacular Grotto is a magical, naturalistic cave with shimmering, bubbling water, rough rock and stalactites covered in sparkling crystals. On a sunny day, shafts of light pierce the interior through carefully placed openings in the ceiling. The light makes the crystals sparkle as it bounces off the coral pools and lake water.

The Crystal Grotto is included in entry to the landscape but is sometimes closed for maintenance.

Please check the Grotto opening times before planning your visit.

The Grotto is CLOSED ON MONDAYS (excluding bank holidays) for maintenance

Take a look around…

360 tour

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History and Restoration

“The finest of its type ever built”: that is how German landscape designer Friedrich Ludwig von Sckell (1750 – 1823) described the Grotto at Painshill. Visitors in the eighteenth century were amazed and filled with wonder at its beauty.

By the late 1940s however the roof of the grotto had collapsed, leaving an open crater with piles of rocks and crystals on the ground.

The Grotto restoration was made possible in the last 10 years after the Heritage Lottery Heritage Fund awarded funds to the charity.

lottery heritage fund logo
Painshill Crystal Grotto - Before
Painshill Crystal Grotto - Now

Painshill from the Air

Painshill Through The Seasons