Woman stumbles across trapdoor while renovating home and takes peek inside

A woman was left gobsmacked after uncovering a secret cellar entrance while renovating an old pub. Katie, who recently bought the Old Masons Arms in Hambleton, North Yorkshire, is currently turning the former boozer into her home.

In a TikTok video, she shared her surprise: "We knew about the entrance when we bought it, but we had no idea where." She went on to say the previous owners had occupied the building for four decades – and she was "pretty sure" the cellar hadn't been accessed during that time. Describing the eerie find, Katie continued as she revealed a bricked-up opening beneath the carpet and floorboards: "It's pitch black and full of spiders' webs. I can see strange shapes and shadows in the dark."

Her friend bravely ventured down, illuminating a room with nothing but some old furniture and a cardboard box emblazoned with the logo of the now-defunct Japanese electronics company, JVC.

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An observant viewer noted that the box contained a JVC KD-V22 Logic Control Cassette Deck, dating back to 1983.

Katie further explained: "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."

Another TikTok user, intrigued by the cellar's hidden window, asked: "Is the window that goes outside blocked or something?"

To which Katie clarified: "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 extremely filthy window locked from inside. That's when we knew there was another entrance somewhere inside the house!".

Meanwhile, a third person couldn't help but express their envy, saying: "What a wonderful surprise for you, I am very jealous."

Katie herself was pleasantly surprised, admitting: "We were not expecting such a beautiful arched ceiling. It was not originally part of the renovation plans or budget but it is now!"

Whilst a fourth viewer speculated that the wooden furniture in the cellar might have been "benches built in for old-fashioned lock-ins" and used to keep the barrels dry.

In a subsequent video, Katie revealed another historical find under the former pub's carpet.

She shared: "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."

It certainly seems like they've struck gold with this property!