Scott’s Grotto was built in the 1760s by local poet John Scott. It’s a magical place of rooms and tunnels clad in a variety of shells, fossils and other materials. The tunnels extend over 20 metres into the chalk hillside with the deepest chamber being some 10 metres below the hilltop. Open Saturdays and Bank Holiday Mondays between April and September.

Place House Hall is a Grade I listed medieval manor house which stands in a small walled courtyard in the centre of Ware. In the 1680s it became a school for boys from Christ’s Hospital, known as ‘bluecoat boys’ because of their blue uniform. The Hall is now available for private functions but the building exterior with its recently restored statue of a Bluecoat Boy can be admired from the courtyard.

Another Grade I listed building, Ware Friary was built in the 15th century by the Franciscan Friars. Today the restored riverside building, now known as Ware Priory, is home to Ware Town Council and is surrounded by colourful gardens. The grounds include a children’s play area and skate park.

The River Lea runs through the centre of Ware and a special feature is the riverside gazebos, or summerhouses, built in the 18th century by innkeepers and other property owners on the busy High Street. No other town in Britain has so many gazebos along a single stretch of water. During the 1980s many of these unique structures were restored with support from East Herts District Council and the Ware Society.