In 2012, a British couple caused a stir around the world when they published information and photos about a medieval well discovered in their house.
According to the Plymouth Herald news, around 1987, couple Colin and Vanessa Steer moved to an apartment on Mannamead Street, Plymouth city, Devon, southwest of London (UK). While renovating the house to live in, Mr. Colin noticed a depression right near the living room window.
Mr. Colin said: "There was a depression in the floor. Then I immediately thought the bad situation was that someone was buried underneath or there was a hole there. I dug up the floor and discovered a hole. I'm very curious and want to find out what it is, but my wife just wants to cover it up because she's afraid the children might be in danger when playing nearby. However, I'm very curious so I just want to hurry Quickly dig a hole to see if you can find a piece of gold."
So after retiring, Mr. Colin decided to carry out his exploration plan right under the floor of his house.
With the help of a neighbor, they dug to a depth of more than 5 meters and realized it was an ancient well with gradually increasing width downwards. Based on the scene, the well may have been around since at least the 16th century, around the end of the Middle Ages.
Using a ladder and a bucket on a pulley system, it took two men about 6 months to dig up the soil and reach a depth of 5.1m. "We think it's shaped a lot like a bottle," Mr. Colin said.
Another surprising thing was that after digging about 1.5m deep into the bottom of the well, Mr. Colin also discovered an ancient sword. He thinks it could be a fighting tool of ancient farmers because it was only crudely forged from a block of metal.
"I want to dig all the way to the bottom. Who knows what's down there. We don't know when it was built. I wish I could go back in time and see what happened here," he said.
According to Mr. Colin's research, the land he and his wife are living on used to be forest land until 1895. He really wants to learn about the history of the well and wants to find out who lived on the land where his family lived before him. His family is living.
The sword that Mr. Colin found
The location of the well became a gathering place for friends and family of the Steer family, some even threw coins down and prayed.
But a well and a sword weren't the only things the couple discovered in their home over 30 years.
In 2012, Colin was working in his back garden when he accidentally discovered two German incendiary devices using a shovel. A bomb disposal team was dispatched to remove the two items.
In 2018, Mr. Colin shared his intention to continue digging deeper until he actually reached the bottom of the well. He was very happy when many people came to see his discovery process.
(Source: Plymouth Herald)
