![]() It will also be used as an educational resource for schools and colleges. The crystal Grotto - which promises to attract international visitors and garden architecture specialists to Painshill - will be open to visitors (weekends only) and running special Grotto Tours for groups from July 2013. Now more accessible and visitor friendly than ever, people from near and far will be able to learn from and enjoy this enchanting place for many years to come.” Stuart McLeod, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund South East, said: “We at the Heritage Lottery Fund are delighted that the crystal Grotto, one of only handful left of this type of landscape feature, has been fully restored to its former glory. ![]() The recreation of the Five Arch Bridge – restoring Charles Hamilton’s long lake vista within his historic 18th century landscape – was completed earlier in 2013, with funding from The Monument Trust.” Lady Lucinda Lambton, said: “This latest phase of HLF-funded restoration works within the 18th century landscape garden in addition to the Grotto includes the reinstatement of the historic Woollett Bridge and improved accessibility to enhance the visitor experience at Painshill. 100s of 1000s of crystals – calcite, gypsum, quartz and fluorite – including those recovered from archaeological works, have been skilfully embedded with lime mortar onto a framework of inverted wooden cones, to recreate the dazzling stalactite effect of Lane’s original folly. The recreation of this important historic folly has combined extensive research of archive material and archaeological data, with landscaping and expert craftsmanship. Inspired by the grottoes in Italian Renaissance gardens, in 1760 Charles Hamilton commissioned the celebrated grotto maker, Joseph Lane, to construct this folly for a sum of £8,000 (the equivalent of £600,000 today). Specialist craftsmen from Cliveden Conservation Workshop have spent the past year on the heritage project restoring the folly, which historically has been recognised as the finest stalactite Grotto in Europe. ![]() With a grant of £747,400 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) and other private trusts, the crystal Grotto is once again a sparkling centrepiece within the magical landscape garden created by the Honourable Charles Hamilton between 17. ![]() The writer, photographer and broadcaster placed the last crystal in the Grotto’s outstanding and unrivalled stalactite decoration. Lady Lucinda Lambton, crusader for England’s forgotten architectural heritage officially opened the site this week. ![]()
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