UK Couple Unearths 10-foot Well During Home Renovation

A young couple in Coventry, England, got more than they expected when they discovered a hidden well beneath the living room floor of their newly purchased Edwardian townhouse. Shaniah Lloyd, 28, and her partner Ross Bennet, 25, stumbled upon the well while renovating their new home.

The couple, who were first-time buyers, acquired the property for $239,000 in November of last year. Little did they know, their renovation plans would take an unexpected turn when they began lifting floorboards to replace the boiler. What they found was a 10-foot well concealed beneath a ring of bricks, creating an eerie atmosphere in the room.

Describing the moment of discovery, Shaniah Lloyd, a postal worker, recounted, “We’d had such a busy day, and at 10 p.m., we remembered the plumbers were coming and we needed to take up the floorboards by morning.” It was then that Ross Bennet, her partner, made the startling find. Upon removing the floorboards, he was met with a circle of bricks surrounding a dark void. Despite the late hour, curiosity got the better of him as he ventured into the depths with a torch, much to Shaniah’s disbelief.

Investigations into the history of the property revealed that it was built on the grounds of an old farm, with no significant updates since the 1960s. While the couple had purchased the house as a renovation project, they hadn’t anticipated unearthing such a unique feature.

Upon closer inspection by Bennet, who is an electrician, it was determined that the well was constructed from clay and had the potential to function as a water well if properly dug out.

Rather than fill in the well, the adventurous couple has expressed interest in transforming it into a focal point within their home. They envision covering it with a glass top and adorning it with lights to highlight its historical significance.

As they start this unconventional renovation journey, Shaniah Lloyd is open to suggestions from the community, stating, “If anyone has advice they can give about turning it into a feature we’d be glad to hear it — renovation is hard enough already.”