At the end of last month, an accident occurred at the Davidhulme Park Golf Course in Trafford, Greater Manchester, England - the ground collapsed near the 13th hole, forming a sinkhole.When Steve Hopkins, assistant greens superintendent, was investigating repairs, he unexpectedly uncovered a Victorian wine cellar that had been sealed for about 120 years.At first, Hopkins mistook the ground collapse for a common gutter failure and prepared to use a small excavator to perform routine repairs.
But as the excavation continued, a huge hole suddenly appeared in the ground, and a brick arch and the entrance to the underground passage were revealed, and then the wine cellar was rebuilt.
It is reported that this wine cellar belongs to Davehulme Manor.The manor had been owned by the Hume family since the time of Henry II in the 12th century. After it was demolished in 1888, the wine cellar was buried underground until the golf course was built on the original site in the early 20th century, and it was completely forgotten.
The wine cellar is a brick vault structure that is relatively well preserved. About 100 old-fashioned wine bottles were found inside, covering wine, champagne and port. They are all hand-blown and have obvious Victorian craftsmanship characteristics.
Unfortunately, all the wine bottles are empty. It is speculated that they were either emptied before the manor was demolished, or the liquid in the bottles has completely evaporated due to its age. Otherwise, you can really taste the flavor that has been stored for hundreds of years.
After the golf club shared the discovery on social media, the relevant video quickly went viral, attracting widespread attention from members and the public. Currently, the affected area of the golf course has been temporarily closed, and staff are working hard to reinforce the ground. At the same time, they are linking up with local historical experts to properly protect this precious historical relic.
