Scott's Grotto

Scott's Grotto is an underground series of six interconnected chambers dug into a chalk hillside in Ware and decorated with thousands of shells, flints and pieces of coloured glass. It was built in the 1760s by a Quaker poet and is now run by a charity, so visits feel like stepping into a small, quirky piece of history. Children can look for the patterns in the shell work and imagine who would have crept through the passages two centuries ago. Above the grotto there is a summerhouse and gardens with a view over the town. The chambers are unlit, so a torch is needed, and the steps make it unsuitable for wheelchair users and those with limited mobility. It suits curious older children and families who enjoy heritage sites and a short, unusual walk-around visit rather than a busy attraction.