Queen Adelaides Chapel

Useful Information

Location:	Maker-with-Rame SX 45 SW. (50.318528, -4.190237)
Open:	no restrictions. [2024]
Fee:	free. [2024]
Classification:	Grotto
Light:	Incandescent
Dimension:
Guided tours:	self guided, D=15 min.
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address:	Queen Adelaides Chapel, Maker-with-Rame SX 45 SW. The Friends of Mount Edgcumbe Country Park, Mount Edgcumbe House, Cremyll, Torpoint PL10 1HZ, Tel: +44-1752-822236. E-mail:
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History

1827/28	built to commemorate the visit of William IV to Mount Edgcumbe.
23-JAN-1968	listed on the National Heritage List for England.

Description

Queen Adelaides Chapel is also known as Queen Adelaides Grotto. The building was erected in 1827 and 1928, to commemorate the visit of William IV to Mount Edgcumbe. Located on the edge of the cliff it was partly cut out of the solid rock, so it is actually semi-underground. The building is a Georgian grotto, a sort of ornamental building-like structure which was intended to make a park more interesting. For this purpose those structures were decorated with all kinds of ornaments, shells, fossils, minerals and whatnot. This one is not od this ornate type, its more like simple chapel, with an irregular form, a tunnel entrance to left and a three-sided chamber to right. It has three gabled sides, each under a separate roof. The internal triangular recess was carved out of the cliff and has two benches at the two rear walls, also cut into the rock. Sitting here its possible to see the sea out of the three huge portals The walls are the solid rock, slatestone rubble walls, or they are dressed with granite. The roofs are made of slate, and it is partly covered by gras.