In 2010, a family discovered a hidden ancient chappel under their house in Shropshire, England.
One evening, after a few drinks and a bout of idle curiosity, the Farla family discovered a hidden chapel beneath their home.
The Farla family was celebrating Good Friday at their home in Telford, Shropshire. Pat, 52, and Diane Farla, 43, had always wondered about a metal grille lying alongside the wall since they moved into the Victorian-era building three years ago. Deciding to pull it away, they found a hole just big enough for Gareth Farla, 20, and his uncle Matthew Lathan, 25, to squeeze through.
Blinking in the darkness, they found themselves in a small, eerie cellar resembling a chapel. In the center of the room lay a wooden cross that had rotted and fallen. Matthew recounted, “We only discovered it because we were drunkenly fooling around and decided to see what was beneath the grille – It was amazing.”
Everyone gathered around in excitement. The first thing they encountered was an old, open chest containing newspapers and bottles dating back to the 1930s. Hooks hanging from the ceiling could have been used to hang meat. One end of the cellar had a damp mesh or cloth, and there were brick seats around the walls like those found in a church.
The surprises continued as they spotted stairs at the back of the basement. The Farla family revealed that the house deeds dated back 230 years, and at some point, it had been used as a public house.
Gareth added, “When we spotted the stairs, we tried to find out where they led. There was more cardboard, and we broke through it, leading to a cupboard in our dining room. It’s strange it’s been there, and we had no idea. We were just storing the hoover and blankets there; we couldn’t quite believe it.”
The whole family was amazed and curious about the room’s purpose. The crosses and layout suggested it might have been a chapel. They refrained from touching much and planned to contact local history groups to shed light on their discovery.
Richard Westwood Brookes, a historical documents expert at Mullocks auctioneers in Shropshire, said, “If the deeds are over 230 years old and the room dates back to the 1700s, it could have been used as a Catholic hideaway or for other nonconformist religious groups. Such a room could have been a clandestine Catholic church since being Catholic at that time meant persecution and execution.”
He also mentioned that if the room were built during World War II, it could have been a type of bunker. “Churchill had a secret army of hand-picked men who stayed behind to launch sabotage operations if the Nazis won the war and ruled Britain.”
Beyond their underground discovery, the superstitious Farla family believed they might have released a ghost after taking a mysterious photograph shortly afterward. Gareth explained, “After discovering the basement, we went back upstairs and took some pictures. In one of them, there was something white by the belly of Matthew’s pregnant girlfriend, Karen. My mother thinks it’s an orb, as the rest of the picture is clear except for that spot. And my gran, Peggy, who is quite superstitious, thinks it could be something there. It could just be a coincidence, but it seems quite strange.”
And so, what seemed like an ordinary evening turned into a mysterious adventure, unveiling secrets of the past right beneath the Farla family’s feet.
