GROTTO IN CARSHALTON PARK

GROTTO IN CARSHALTON PARK, RUSKIN ROAD

Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places

Overview

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1065628
Date first listed:: 16-Mar-1954
List Entry Name:: GROTTO IN CARSHALTON PARK
Statutory Address:: GROTTO IN CARSHALTON PARK, RUSKIN ROAD

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Date:: 1999-08-07
Reference:: IOE01/00227/15
Rights:: © Mr Robert Taverner. Source: Historic England Archive

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:: Listed Building
Grade:: II
List Entry Number:: 1065628
Date first listed:: 16-Mar-1954
List Entry Name:: GROTTO IN CARSHALTON PARK
Statutory Address 1:: GROTTO IN CARSHALTON PARK, RUSKIN ROAD

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:: GROTTO IN CARSHALTON PARK, RUSKIN ROAD

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

County:: Greater London Authority
District:: Sutton (London Borough)
Parish:: Non Civil Parish
National Grid Reference:: TQ 28257 64064

Details

RUSKIN ROAD 1. 4430 CARSHALTON Grotto in Carshalton Park TQ 2864 SW 23/3 16.3.54. II 2. Early C18; in his description of the design for Carshalton House Leoni wrote "behind the House is a delicious Garden adorned with variety of Statues and Fountains, as also with a Canal of a very noble length and breadth, terminating in an ample and delightful Grotto, most artfully contrived and adorned with a great number of rarities, according to a curious design invented by the Master of the House himself". (See "Some designs for Buildings both Publick and Private" in Vol 3 of "The Architecture of Leoni Battista Alberti", translated by Leoni and published circa 1729). The outside of the grotto has symmetrical curved walls of brick ramped up gradually to the central peak and following the outline of the earth hill behind it. The splayed walls flanking the centre have plain segmental topped and backed alcoves, and the centre has 3 round-headed arches with wide rectangular "piers" between, the central arch being wider and taller than the others. The arches open into a rectangular vestibule with round-headed niches at the ends, and from here access is had to a large octagonal room with brick walls and cambered ceiling rising from a coved brick cornice. Facing the entrance inside is a segmental-headed and backed niche. Outside the grotto is the brick retaining wall of the long water. Decoration has disappeared. History. Carshalton Park was the seat of Sir William Scawen. Mascalls, the old manor house, was referred to by Aubrey in 1718 as "a handsome old house .... with behind it a fine garden adorned with reservoirs of water, also a long and pleasant walk of orange and lime trees and a wilderness", After the death of Sir William Scawen in 1723 plans were prepared by Giacomo Leoni, the celebrated architect of George I, for a new house; these came to nothing and the family moved to Stone Court and Woodcote Park. It is not at present known what happened to the old house, Mascalls. A possibly new house, with a front of late C18 to early C19 date is shown in a print of 1819. Most of the estate has now been built over, and the iron gates illustrated in Starkie Gardner's "Ironwork" have been removed to Planting Fields, Oyster Bay, Baltimore, now owned by New York University. The only features surviving apart from the landscape treatment of the Park are this grotto, the former orangery or garden temple in The Square, and sections of the Park Walls.

Listing NGR: TQ2825764064

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:: 206793
Legacy System:: LBS

Sources

Other
Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England, Part 17 Greater London

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.