British Family Discovers Medieval Well Under Couch In Sitting Room

A couple in Plymouth, England, have discovered a medieval well hidden below their sofa. The well, measuring an impressive 33-feet deep, was discovered when Colin Steer, 61, decided to find out what was causing the couple’s floor to sink in in one spot.

While Colin is fascinated with the historic discovery, his wife Vanessa is less than thrilled, having made her husband wait more than 20 years after they first spotted the indent before she finally let him explore it, reports The Daily Mail.

The Steers moved into their Victorian home in Plymouth about 24 years ago. They immediately discovered an indentation in the living room floor. When Steer replaced the joists in the floor, he noticed the depression. Steer stated:

“I was replacing the joists in the floor when I noticed a slight depression – it appeared to be filled in with the foundations of the house. I dug down about one foot and saw that it was a well but my wife just wanted to me to cover it back up because we had three children running around at the time. I always wanted to dig it out to see if I could find a pot of gold at the bottom so when I retired at the end of last year that’s what I did.”

With the help of a friend, Colin Steer dug out the well, which measures about 30 inches wide, according to The New York Daily News. They also discovered an old sword along the way. Steer explained:

“It was hidden at a 45 degree angle and sort of just fell out. It looks like an old peasant’s fighting weapon because it appears to be made up of bits of metal all knocked together.”

While the exact date the well was made is unknown, it was likely built by servants of Sir Francis Drake in the 16th century. Drake, an English sea captain, launched many of his New World explorations from Plymouth. Colin Steer is fascinated with everything he has discovered about the well in his living room, saying:

“I love the well and think it’s fascinating. I’d love to find out who was here before us. I’ve got a piece of Plymouth’s history in my front room.”

Vanessa Steer, however, couldn’t care less about the medieval well, which is closed off by a trap door next to their couch. Vanessa stated, “I hate the well. But I suppose it is quite a feature when we come to sell the house.”