Woman finds trapdoor in new home and is floored when she opens it up

A woman who is in the process of renovating a former pub has been left stunned after discovering a hidden entrance to the cellar. Katie purchased the Old Masons Arms in Hambleton, North Yorkshire, earlier this year and is now in the process of transforming it into a habitable dwelling.

"We knew about the entrance when we bought it, but we had no idea where," Katie began in a TikTok video. She continued, explaining that the previous owners lived in the building for 40 years and that she was "pretty sure" nobody had been down into the cellar since.

"It's pitch black and full of spiders' webs," Katie said in horror as she showcased a brick opening under their carpet and wooden floorboards. "I can see strange shapes and shadows in the dark."

As her pal made the creepy descent, he shone his torch into a moderately-sized room that revealled little more than decaying furniture and a cardboard box featuring the logo of defunct Japanese electronics firm, JVC.

One eagle-eyed viewer pointed out that the box was for a JVC KD-V22 Logic Control Cassette Deck, which was produced in 1983.

Katie went on to explain: "The previous owners sealed it up 40 plus years ago and until we had the keys and the house had been emptied of furniture we couldn't get in! We had no idea what it would look like or what could be inside or if it was usable and neither did anyone else as unfortunately the previous owners had passed away."

Writing in reponse, another TikTok user was puzzled as to how the location of the cellar had remained unnkown for so long, despite the room having a window.

"Is the window that goes outside blocked or something?" they asked.

To which Katie explained: "The window is where the old barrel entrance is. This also has a huge trap door outside the house that was sealed when we first looked round. We prized it open with a crow bar expecting it to be the entrance, but there was a wall and extreamly filthy window locked from inside. Thats when we knew there was another entrance somewhere inside the house!"

A third person gushed: "What a wonderful surprise for you, I am very jealous." Indeed, impressed Katie declared: "We were not expecting such a beautiful arched celing. It was not originally part of the renovation plans or budget but it is now!"

Whilst a fourth TikTok user suggested the wooden furniture stored in the cellar may have served as "benches built in for old-fashioned lock-ins" as well as to keep the barrels dry.

In a follow-up video, meanwhile, Katie disclosed what she discovered under another carpet of the former pub.

She said: "We lifted the carpet and uncovered another piece of history - an original black and red quarry tile floor, still intact after all these years. Its worn, but beautiful, and we're planning to restore and keep it as part of The Old Masons Arms."

One thing's for sure, it sounds like an absolute goldmine!