About

Alexander Pope’s Grotto is the last remaining part of his famous villa and gardens which he built in 1720 on the banks of the Thames at Twickenham. A mine of minerals gathered from all parts of the world, it is loaded with significance for British culture and for the birth of the English Landscape Garden Movement. For decades it was sadly neglected until serious efforts to preserve the grotto and to make it accessible to future generations began in the 1990s. In March 2024, it was finally reopened to the public. Two Trustees of Pope’s Grotto Preservation Trust, in discussion with Professor Judith Hawley, trace the story of this most unusual project and unveil a special birthday present.