UNDERGROUND marvels

60 Shell Grotto

Grotto Hill

Margate

Kent CT9 2BU

South East

+44 (0)18 4322 0008 shellgrotto.co.uk

Hidden beneath the streets of Margate in Kent, the Shell Grotto is a bewitching, dream-like space to inhabit. Passing through an unassuming entrance in a quiet residential part of the seaside town, you head down below street level before being met with a warren of underground passages, all lined with softly gleaming seashells. The shells – 4.6 million of them, mainly British and found locally – are set into the chalk in beautifully patterned mosaics. Why? Who knows. The grotto was discovered by chance in 1835 and its origins remain unknown to this day, though theories range from an ancient pagan temple to an extravagant, Regency folly. See what you think when you step inside.

61 Beer Quarry Caves

Quarry Lane Beer

Devon EX12 3AS

South West

+44 (0)12 9768 0282 beerquarry caves.co.uk

You’ll want to wrap up warm for a trip down Beer’s Quarry Caves, even if it’s beach weather above ground. The cool, man-made labyrinth of underground tunnels is the result of over 2,000 years of quarrying Beer Stone. The Romans were the first to start using the creamy limestone, but it’s since been used in famous buildings like Westminster Abbey and The Tower of London. You can now take a tour of the vast underground caverns near the pretty village of Beer.