Pope's Grotto
WHERE
Twickenham
What it’s like
A quirky underground grotto you explore yourself with a printed plan, open just a handful of days a year.
This one's a proper oddity. It's an old grotto built into a school, and on the rare days it opens you get a printed plan and wander round at your own pace, with volunteers on hand if you've got questions. There's no guided tour as such, which suits kids who'd rather poke about themselves than stand still listening to someone talk. Visits tend to run between 20 minutes and an hour, so it's not a whole day out, more something to bolt onto a wider trip to Twickenham.
The catch is getting in at all. Open days only happen a handful of times a year, because the grotto sits inside a working school, and they're usually at weekends. Places are limited too, so this isn't a turn-up-and-see kind of place, you'll want to sort tickets in advance.
Once you're there, the grotto itself isn't an easy one for buggies or wheelchairs. Access is via stairs and the floor inside is uneven. Parking on Saturdays is limited free on-street parking nearby, and it's a fair walk from either Twickenham or Strawberry Hill stations if you're coming by train, so factor that into how long the whole outing takes rather than just the time inside.
Refunds aren't really a thing here either, they'll only consider it in genuine exceptional circumstances.
Facilities
Need to know
- Parking
- Limited free on-street parking in surrounding area on Saturdays
- How long to allow
- Between 20 minutes and an hour
- Wheelchairs
- No disabled access. Access is via stairs and grotto floor is uneven
- Dogs
- Not permitted in school buildings
- Getting there by bus or train
- Buses R68 and 33 nearby. 15 minutes walk from Twickenham Station, 10 minutes from Strawberry Hill Station
- There's no guided tour, just a printed plan and volunteers around to help if you get stuck
- Parking on Saturdays is limited to free on-street spots nearby, so don't rely on a car park
- Refunds are only considered in genuine exceptional circumstances, so pick your date carefully
- It's a walk from the train, about 15 minutes from Twickenham Station or 10 from Strawberry Hill
Plan your visit
Do we need to book ahead?
Yes, tickets are needed and places are limited, so it's not one you can just turn up to on the day.
When is it actually open?
Only on select Open Days through the year, usually at weekends since the grotto is inside a school.
How long will we be there?
Somewhere between 20 minutes and an hour, depending on how thoroughly you explore with the printed plan.
Is it buggy or wheelchair friendly?
There's no disabled access. You get in via stairs and the grotto floor itself is uneven underfoot.
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