Pope's Grotto

Alexander Pope's villa has gone but the grotto, which formed part of the garden, survives and can be viewed by written request to the headmaster of St James's Boys School. The grotto was formerly at the lower level of Pope's Villa and is now at the lower level of an Arts and Crafts building which is now a school. A passageway leads under Cross Deep road to what is now a girl's school. Apart from its association with the poet, the chief interest of the grotto is large collection of geological specimens which was used to line the brickwork of the vaults.