English man finds hidden passageways, secret rooms behind bookshelf in family home [View all]

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A man from Sussex, England recently found what used to be a door hidden behind a bookshelf leading to a series of underground tunnels that led to various secret rooms left closed for decades, maybe centuries. The New York Post reports that the family of 23-year-old Freddy Goodall has lived on the estate for roughly 500 years. As Goodall perused through some old photos featuring the home’s library, he noticed something strange: a doorway that was nowhere to be found in the modern day was clearly pictured years ago in black-and-white.

This was an even more interesting discovery, as Goodall realized a wall behind some of the books he was clearing out earlier seemed hollow. “I searched for it but couldn’t see anything at first, then realized it was hidden behind a bookshelf,” says Goodall to Jam Press. “Eventually behind one of the books, I found a hole that looked into the hidden room.”

Indeed—after entering the first hidden room, Goodall pulled up a part of the floor that revealed a ladder going underground to old, cobweb-covered tunnels that led to even more hidden rooms. The U.S. Sun continues to report that cobwebs (and a huge wasp’s nest) weren’t the only things the secret rooms contained: Goodall also found a number of old books and other writings, including a letter from 1887.

It is believed the tunnels were used by servants to carry out their duties unnoticed by the lords and ladies of the home.

https://www.pennlive.com/life/2021/09/english-man-finds-hidden-passageways-secret-rooms-behind-bookshelf-in-family-home-watch.html