Tired of London, Tired of Life - A website about things to do in London

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1 July 2011

Find the Wanstead Park Grotto

Originally constructed in the 1760s, the Grotto in Wanstead Park was once a boathouse and survived both the destruction of Wanstead House in 1824 and plans for its demolition in 1835.


Unfortunately, a fire destroyed most of the grotto in 1882, but some of the facade is still standing, and a The Grotto has recently been cleared of vegetation in an attempt to protect what remains.

For more on the Grotto, see http://www.wansteadpark.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=74&Itemid=113

^Picture © LindaH used under Creative Commons^

5 comments:

  1. Would love to check this out, great recommendation.

    Any chance of some pinpointing on an internet map?

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  2. I'm afraid not Al. I did try it once (see in the sidebar) but it just became too stressful and time consuming to get them all done.

    Having said that, if you or anyone fancies pinpointing them all, I'd be delighted to give my assistance.

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  3. The Grotto is in Wanstead Park a wild natural park that is actually part of Wanstead Flats. Several feature films have used the location, most famously Robert Mitcham as Philip Marlowe. The various entrances are detailed here

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    Replies
    1. in fact it's not part of wanstead flat's at all it's wanstead park ... there both compleatly seperate area's.

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  4. went to wanstead park one day last week & again today for the first time in 20 odd years,my older brother would take me fishing their,on the perch pond & ornamentals when i was 10-11?im 45 now,being a local manor park lad,me & some mates would also go,as i was in the area,i thought i would retread the steps of my youth,ahh the memories,hard to remember exactly how it was back then,to today,but i don't think it's changed that much?always loved the grotto,& had to smile when i saw it again after all this time,she's still standing,my dad told me the ruins were of an old monks monestry,anyway im gonna take my son fishing their next week, great memories

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