'We bought 400-year old property and made staggering discovery in the garden'

A couple who bought a 400-year old house were left gobsmacked after stumbling upon a shocking discovery in their new back garden "by pure chance". Olivia and Jack Munro, who have been sharing the renovation journey of their historic home on social media, revealed their extraordinary find on TikTok.

The pair purchased the property in 2023 with the intention of restoring it to its "former glory", but they were quoted a whopping £200,000 for the necessary work. Unfazed, however, Olivia and Jack decided to dedicate their free time at weekends to tackling the mammoth project themselves.

Since then, the couple have unearthed a number of hidden features, including a concealed fireplace behind the walls. However, it was an outdoor discovery that truly sparked their curiosity.

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In a video posted on TikTok, Olivia revealed: "It's a 72-feet deep well." She added: "We found it by chance when we were doing some work nearby - the digger moved some dirt and we saw a ring of bricks."

Shining her torch down the deep abyss, Olivia confessed that their "curiosity got the better of them", leading them to delve deeper.

"We were speechless when we uncovered it," she continued. Despite leaving the hole covered for a year to concentrate on more pressing matters concerning the upkeep of the property itself, the couple recently returned to the garden and began work on restoring the well.

Olivia said: "It's as frightening as it looks. I'm so glad we found it, because I think it's even more frightening that it was unknown that it was there."

The grate was subsequently sealed with brickwork constructed on top to secure it - restoring the well's appearance to its centuries-old look.

Olivia continued: "A friend came in and built this up for us - we still have a bit of work to do, but it's now feeling really nice to have it built up. There will be a lid going on top plus we have electric going in for lighting and hopefully a pump..

"Every time I look down there I am just astounded and amazed by the workmanship - I just can't imagine how they built this all those years ago."

The video sparked several TikTok users to suggest the married pair explore the well for hidden treasures.

One suggested: "A lot of wells were used to dump rare items, firearms, and anything of value to stop others stealing them with the intention of going back and recovering them. My neighbour is a diver and does this in stately homes and other properties with wells."

Another queried: "Did you drop a magnet down it? I bet there would have been some amazing finds down there."

Meanwhile, a third shared a similar story: "We live in an old bakery and when we dug our well out, it had been filled with all the old baking tins, huge cooking pots, a tricycle, pram, perfume bottles etc."

And a fourth TikTok user offered alternative advice, writing: "I'd be checking the quality of the water and using it to feed the garden. Awesome find."

To which Olivia replied: "Yes we will be hopefully it's good enough for more than just the garden, we have horses so it would be great if they can use it. And if it's good, then for us too! I grew up in a farm cottage that got its water from a well. The water board checked it once a year and they always commented on how crystal clear and lovely it was!"