A Portishead family discovered an underground shelter at their home while digging up the garden to build a new shed.
Builders working on the project in Seaview Road believe it is an underground bomb shelter, and Adam and Jo Griffiths are now planning to turn it into a wine cellar.
The couple took up the patio to build a large shed at the bottom of their garden. Upon removing the tiles and digging down into the ground to install a new drain, they were amazed to stumble across the structure which was full of a rusty, old items.
Adam said: “We have been doing some extensive remodelling of our garden and we removed our smaller shed to make room for a bigger shed as part of the work.
“Upon the discovery of the old bomb shelter, builders opened up a small hole so we could discover what was inside. We found a number of very rusty items, including an Underwood typewriter, oil canister, teapot, biscuit tin and paint pot, among other things.
“We are now planning to turn the space into a feature of the garden and this will involve making alterations to how it looks currently.”
Adam estimates the home is around 80-100 years old, and has been extended over the years. Builders believe the underground structure is an old bomb shelter due to the discovery of a corrugated metal roof inside the space.
Adam and Jo’s eight-year-old daughter Chloe said the discovery has got her school friends talking.
Chloe added: “I thought the shelter was cool, especially how it had so much stuff in it.
“I told the whole school about it at show and tell, and my friends have asked if they can come round to our house to have a look.”
Jo added that builders have been in this week to further open up the shelter.
The family is now planning to convert the space into a wine cellar, which will have stairs leading into it, and the new shed will be built beside the shelter at bottom of the garden.
Jo said: “We’re looking at installing plumbing which will connect to a kitchenette and toilet in Adam’s new shed, which will probably see the whole of the bottom garden ripped up in the process.
“The builders are over this week and within the next few weeks, the plans will take shape for the future of the old bomb shelter.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here