Couple’s surprise discovery in backyard of 400-year-old house

A couple in the UK were renovating their 400-year-old farmhouse when they stumbled upon a centuries-old secret hidden in their garden. 

Olivia and Jack Munro bought the country house in Suffolk in 2023. 

The pair – both keen renovators who document their projects on social media – were excited to embark on a new DIY task to restore the cottage to its former glory. 

A few months into the restoration, the Munros noticed a mysterious ring of bricks in their garden.

Beneath the rubble was a 21-metre-deep well that had remained untouched for years. 

Olivia revealed the surprise find in a now-viral video, which she captioned #blairwitchproject vibes, in a reference to the 1999 horror film. 

“I’m so glad we found it, because it’s even more frightening that it was unknown that it was there,” she said in the Instagram reel. 

In a separate video to TikTok she shared that it was “quite horrifying” the well was “just there under the grass” where her two young children were playing.

With the safety of their family and pets in mind, the couple decided to cover up the well.

They left it buried under “a tonne of stuff” for the next few years. 

This week, the Munros revealed a friend had helped them install a safety grating over the well and build a ring of bricks around the perimeter. 

“We still have a bit of work to do but it’s now feeling really nice to have it built up,” Olivia said. 

“We’ll make [it] into a wishing well with a little bucket, and we’re going to put some lights in, and a pump in, and hopefully we can use the water to water the vegetables.”

Olivia, who works at a stately home, said she was in awe of the well’s fine construction. 

“Every time I look down there I’m just absolutely astounded and amazed by the workmanship. I just can’t imagine how they built this all those years ago without machines,” she said.

The Munros are tackling the huge restoration project themselves, working on the property around their day jobs.

They have finished three of the property’s 13 rooms.

“It has not been easy, but the rewards so far have been well worth it,” Olivia said.