A New Conservation Triumph:The Shell Grotto at St Giles House Wimborne St Giles in Dorset

摘要

Previously derelict and largely uninhabited for almost fifty years, the newly restored St Giles House in Dorset will host an upcoming Association of Gardens Trust Study Day on May 6 (see page 5). The house has been rehabilitated for the purpose of receiving the present Earl of Shaftesbury and his family, and to serve as an events venue, and several extraordinary park features have benefited with extensive conservation repairs and re-instatement.The focus of the Study Day will be on the historical development of the garden and the wider landscape. A programme of talks, exhibition, and tour has been scheduled. A principal highlight of the afternoon tour will be a visit to the spectacular mid-18th century Shell Grotto, returned to life following a fascinating state-of-the-art scheme of repairs.