Man finds a secret 120-year-old tunnel filled with relics under his house

The  secret cave had been sealed for more than 50 years and was filled with rubbish when it was found (Picture: SWNS)
The secret cave had been sealed for more than 50 years and was filled with rubbish when it was found (Picture: SWNS) A large, century-old secret tunnel large enough to house a ‘grotto-type bathing area’ has been discovered buried underneath a Plymouth home. Jake Brown was working on his new Georgian property in Emma Place when he realised one wall underneath his home had a different texture. After a spot of drilling, he was then able to make an opening large enough to fit his head through to take a closer look. He found a boarded-up tunnel filled with evidence dating back to the early 1900s, and a newspaper suggesting it had been sealed for more than 50 years. Jake said: ‘Once I had made two holes, one for viewing, one for a torch, I peered through into the dark dusty expanse and realised that it was another cavern of sorts. ‘The cavern had a lot of builders waste from another era, so I climbed inside to explore and take a closer look. I measured the rough area of the space and observed its structural integrity.

A man who drilled a hole in his wall was stunned to find a secret 120-year-old tunnel underneath his house. See SWNS story SWPtunnel. A man who drilled a hole in his wall was stunned to find a secret 120-year-old tunnel underneath his house. Jake Brown was doing some work at his newly bought home when he realised that one wall had different textures. He inspected further and made an opening big enough to get his head through to take another look. To his shock, Jake discovered there was a huge area underneath his home in Plymouth, Devon, so he opened it up to investigate.
He first made an opening large enough to get his head through and discovered there was a huge area underneath his home (Picture: SWNS) ‘I was pleased to note that the stone arched ceiling was in great condition and the expanse measured a healthy five metres deep, three metres high, and three metres wide.’ Along with bottles and paint cans, Jake’s biggest discovery was the newspaper, which he said almost disintegrated when he touched it. He continued: ‘There were little hints; the style of writing, no colour, picture style, currency and then finally a date. ‘What was barely readable was the year 1964, this along with the other pieces of evidence fitted, meaning the cellar had been blocked up for over 50 years.’

A man who drilled a hole in his wall was stunned to find a secret 120-year-old tunnel underneath his house. See SWNS story SWPtunnel. A man who drilled a hole in his wall was stunned to find a secret 120-year-old tunnel underneath his house. Jake Brown was doing some work at his newly bought home when he realised that one wall had different textures. He inspected further and made an opening big enough to get his head through to take another look. To his shock, Jake discovered there was a huge area underneath his home in Plymouth, Devon, so he opened it up to investigate.
The tunnel appeared to have been used as a dumping ground by builders more than half a century ago before being sealed. (Picture: SWNS)
A man who drilled a hole in his wall was stunned to find a secret 120-year-old tunnel underneath his house. See SWNS story SWPtunnel. A man who drilled a hole in his wall was stunned to find a secret 120-year-old tunnel underneath his house. Jake Brown was doing some work at his newly bought home when he realised that one wall had different textures. He inspected further and made an opening big enough to get his head through to take another look. To his shock, Jake discovered there was a huge area underneath his home in Plymouth, Devon, so he opened it up to investigate.
Jake Brown sifted through the rubble and found newspaper from 1964 (Picture: SWNS)A man who drilled a hole in his wall was stunned to find a secret 120-year-old tunnel underneath his house. See SWNS story SWPtunnel. A man who drilled a hole in his wall was stunned to find a secret 120-year-old tunnel underneath his house. Jake Brown was doing some work at his newly bought home when he realised that one wall had different textures. He inspected further and made an opening big enough to get his head through to take another look. To his shock, Jake discovered there was a huge area underneath his home in Plymouth, Devon, so he opened it up to investigate.

The hole was about five metres deep, three metres high, and three metres wide (Picture: SWNS) Armed with evidence, Jake then contacted a historian friend, Richard Fisher. Richard said: ‘The whole area before then was a large hill called Windridge Hill. This was quarried away to almost high-tide level, then the houses were built into the hole with cellars, undercrofts. ‘However these early cellars, this one looks to be for coal, were built out not only underneath the pavement but out into the road. The load on the roads would have been much lighter than now. ‘I have seen these places turned into wine cellars, a place to grow mushrooms, and if big enough, a “grotto” type bathing area.A man who drilled a hole in his wall was stunned to find a secret 120-year-old tunnel underneath his house. See SWNS story SWPtunnel. A man who drilled a hole in his wall was stunned to find a secret 120-year-old tunnel underneath his house. Jake Brown was doing some work at his newly bought home when he realised that one wall had different textures. He inspected further and made an opening big enough to get his head through to take another look. To his shock, Jake discovered there was a huge area underneath his home in Plymouth, Devon, so he opened it up to investigate.
His friend, historian Richard Fisher said similar caves had been used as wine cellars or ‘grotto-type bathing areas’ (Picture: SWNS)

A man who drilled a hole in his wall was stunned to find a secret 120-year-old tunnel underneath his house. See SWNS story SWPtunnel. A man who drilled a hole in his wall was stunned to find a secret 120-year-old tunnel underneath his house. Jake Brown was doing some work at his newly bought home when he realised that one wall had different textures. He inspected further and made an opening big enough to get his head through to take another look. To his shock, Jake discovered there was a huge area underneath his home in Plymouth, Devon, so he opened it up to investigate.
A newspaper found inside the tunnel suggests that it was sealed years ago (Picture: SWNS)



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