January 2024

January 2024
51
GROTTO
PROJECT
In the second of a series of articles
monitoring the restoration and
maintenance of Wanstead Park’s
historic Grotto, Richard Arnopp
explains the work done so far
which was from an unknown
location (perhaps originally one
of the smaller niches).
Finally, the decorative
scheme included two pieces
of lead statuary seen in situ
in early photographs. These
are another Andromeda,
which still happily survives
at The Temple (pictured
here), and one which
seems to have been an
‘Allegory of Winter’. The
latter is now missing.
I have seen images
of lead figures from
the Van Nost family’s
workshop which
were almost certainly
the prototypes of those at
the Grotto – an Andromeda
from Melbourne Hall, and
Winter formerly from Glenham Hall (this has
passed through various hands and is now in
the United States). I think little can be said
about the Wanstead ‘Winter’, as our images
of him are too poor and lacking in detail.
However, the Wanstead Andromeda is clearly
much smaller than her Melbourne Hall cousin.
Also, though she has been rather knocked
about over the years, she is also of much
poorer quality – a version derived from a print
perhaps rather than from the original?
The Friends of Wanstead Parklands are
delighted with the work done to date to
make sense of the history of this neglected
building and the new determination to rescue
it from dereliction and abandonment. We
will keep you updated on progress as the
project develops.
For more information on Wanstead Park,
visit wnstd.com/fwp
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