An extraordinary discovery unfolded in Trafford (Greater Manchester) when a Davyhulme Park golf-club worker found an old wine cellar full of dozens of empty bottles near the 13th hole. The find only came to light after the ground suddenly collapsed.
Experts say the cellar appears to have been untouched for more than 120 years. They also reported that the underground space was once part of the Devigalm Hall estate, which was demolished in 1888.
A surprise find beneath the 13th hole
Steve Hopkins, the deputy head greenkeeper at one of England’s oldest golf clubs, spotted a hole during a morning inspection. “I was, essentially, the first person to go down there in over a hundred years,” he said.
At first he suspected a drainage issue. Hopkins dug into the collapse with a small excavator and noticed brickwork inside, BBC reports.
“We thought it was just a drainage ditch we’d need to dig out, clear and repair, but the deeper we dug the bigger the void became,” he said.
After climbing inside with a torch, Hopkins found the underground structure lined with dozens of empty glass bottles.
He said the bottles had odd shapes that clearly marked them as very old: “They looked hand-blown.” At the end of a cellar corridor Hopkins found blocked doors that likely lead to additional rooms.
Professional golfer Martin Gamer said club staff long suspected there were old cellars somewhere on the grounds, but nobody knew exactly where, the Independent reports. “Think about how many people walked this course without realizing there’s a huge cellar underneath,” he added.
What we know about the site
Trafford Council says the Devigalm Hall estate was built by the Galm family in the 12th century. The property later passed to Robert Henry Norris, who established a golf club on the land in 1844.
According to the club, Norris died in 1887 and left Devigalm Hall to his nephew, who was unable to sell the property.
The house was eventually demolished, and part of the land where it stood became the Davyhulme Park golf club’s in 1923.
Recently many people contacted club management wanting to buy the bottles. Staff decided instead to put these glass on public display in the clubhouse so anyone can see them.
Photo: Davyhulme Park Golf Club
