Would you like to leave a message for future generations? If so, take a visit to the Shell House in Staunton Country Park, where hundreds of local residents have now drawn or written on shells. These are fixed to boards and placed inside the building, which was constructed in 1828 for Sir George Staunton on what was called the Leigh Park Estate.
The Shell House was originally covered in decorative panels of flint. Inside, the walls were encrusted with shells. Although Sir George travelled widely, the shells came from the beach at Hayling Island. The building was used to house a natural history collection including minerals, ceramics and a small stuffed crocodile.
In the 20th century the grade-two listed folly suffered from vandalism. The shellwork was lost and the roof collapsed. Happily, in the last few years it has been possible to restore the building with Portland Stone together with flint and pebbles to match the originals.
The Friends of Staunton Country Park have arranged opportunities for members of the public to leave personal messages on shells. One of the collections of shells was for the late Queen’s Jubilee in 2022 and another one will be for King Charles’ coronation. The next dates for leaving your messages are announced on the Facebook page of the Friends of Staunton Country Park.
