What makes Margate special is the presence of a mysterious grotto. The grotto lies under houses with gardens at no more than two meters depth. The word grotto originally comes from the Italian word grotto, in Latin crypta. Caves or grotto's can be formed artificially or naturally. In natural formation, limestone (calcite) solves in carbonated water. If this happens you will often find stalactites there.
What makes the shell grotto of Margate so mysterious is that there is nothing known about it. We do not know when the grotto was built, by whom and for what purpose. That much time and effort is spent is clear from the decorations that you find in there. More than 4.6 million seashells, spread over 21 meters in length (over 600 m2) mosaic of shells, decorate each piece of the wall and ceiling of the grotto. Since the discovery in 1835 people have speculated about the true meaning of this place.
The mysterious shell grotto of Margate