Shell Grotto
On the list as The Grotto
Many listed buildings are private homes. Please enjoy them from the street.
About Shell Grotto
Shell Grotto, listed as The Grotto, is one of 2 Grade I listed buildings in Margate and about 9,341 in England. It was among the first 215 buildings in Margate to be listed, on 22 February 1973. It stands in the Clifton Place and Grotto Gardens conservation area, designated in 2016. Within 400 metres are 28 other listed buildings.
HERead the official list entryHistoric England’s description of the building, its history and why it is listed · List entry 1341537↗Grade I is for buildings of exceptional interest, about 2.5% of all listed buildings in England. Listing protects the whole building, inside and out: changes need listed building consent from the council.
Make it a walk: 4 listed buildings in about 15 minutes
Margate · about 0.5 miles on foot, as the crow flies
- 1Shell GrottoStart here
- 2
Theatre RoyalGrade II* · 0.2 mi on - 3
India HouseGrade II* · 0.1 mi on - 4
Tudor HouseGrade II* · 0.1 mi on
1 more listed building within 150 metres
Grade I and II* ones open their own page; Grade II ones open the official list entry.
Grade I houses near Margate
Within 25 miles, with a photo.
Questions about Shell Grotto
Is Shell Grotto listed?
Yes. The Grotto is listed Grade I on the National Heritage List for England (list entry 1341537), first listed on 22 February 1973.
Can you visit Shell Grotto?
Many listed buildings are private homes; this one can be seen from the street.
Is Shell Grotto in a conservation area?
Yes, the Clifton Place and Grotto Gardens conservation area, designated in 2016.
© Historic England 2026. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Check an entry on Historic England’s website before relying on it. Photos: Wikimedia Commons and Geograph, credited above, copied to our own server. Map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Sources: Historic England, National Heritage List for England (listed buildings, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, battlefields, World Heritage Sites), October 2026, inside the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary · Historic England conservation areas (supplied by local planning authorities; October 2026). All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.