A Grade I listed building across the Oxfordshire border in Wiltshire has reopened, having been closed to the public since late 2022.

The Grotto, located in the garden at National Trust site Stourhead, was partly closed due to part of the floor collapsing.

However, the pebble floor has now been restored following specialist conservation work, and the Grotto has reopened to visitors.

The Grotto floor before it was repairedThe Grotto floor before it was repaired (Image: Jo Flye) Jo Flye, experience and visitor programming manager, said: "The atmospheric Grotto is one of the most visited and memorable features of the garden and an important part of the journey through the classically designed landscape.

"The restoration work has been undertaken with specialist care and expertise, so it is wonderful to see the finished repair work."

Extensive investigative archaeological research and recordings took place to understand the sub-structure and drainage of the Grotto, which was built in about 1748.

A stonemason at work in the GrottoA stonemason at work in the Grotto (Image: Lucy Fenna/National Trust) Stonemasons lifted the pebbles to access the under-floor drains, which enabled the team at Stourhead to understand the cause of the problem and make a decision about the repair work.

The damage was caused by years of water flowing from the pool into the lake, wearing away the grouting on the brick-lined drainage channel, as well as the brick-sided drains underneath the pebbled floor becoming blocked.