This Man Uncovered A Decades-Old Secret Hidden Beneath His Driveway
You never know what secrets may lie within the walls of an older home, or underneath its foundation. That's what one man found out when he discovered a hole filled with decades-old secrets right beneath his driveway. It all started when he felt a small bump as he was backing his car out of the driveway. As he investigated further, he came upon something of great historical significance. Read on to see what the new homeowner dug up.
Meet Simon Marks
Simon Marks is pictured to the far left as he takes a selfie with a few of his friends. The men formed their own band and enjoy sharing their music with others by throwing mini-concerts in the backyard.
Simon worked an office job throughout the week, so he loved taking advantage of his weekends at home. Little did he know that he'd discovered something extraordinary at home, on what was otherwise a very ordinary day.
A Bump In The Road
The day started out like any other for Simon. He headed out of his house and jumped into his car, which was parked in the driveway. As he reversed his car, though, he experienced something he never had before.
He felt a bump in the driveway. As he attempted to continue to back the car out of the driveway, he discovered that the tires seemed to be stuck on something. He stepped out to investigate.
A Stone Driveway
Simon's driveway was made of stones, meaning that it wasn't a single slab of cement. While the stones were positioned so they should have been completely smooth and safe to drive on, something had clearly gone wrong.
As he investigated what could have been preventing his car from successfully reversing out of the driveway, he discovered that the stones were not flush the way they should have been. It seemed as though something was underneath the stones and was pushing them up.
Digging Up The Driveway
Simon took it upon himself to uncover whatever it was that had caused the problem with his driveway. Rather than immediately calling a contractor, he went ahead and removed the stones of his driveway himself.
He had a hunch that the issue was bigger than a mere construction error. There was clearly something underneath his driveway and he wanted to know what it was. Plus, he had only recently purchased the property and felt he should uncover the mystery himself.
Uncovering A Hole
Simon removed the stones from his driveway at the spot where he had felt the bump with his car. As he removed more and more of them, he discovered that there wasn't any ground beneath some of them.
Indeed, a great hole had been lying underneath his driveway all this time that he had no idea about. It wasn't a small hole, but rather was a large enough size that a person could easily climb into it.
Concerned For The Safety Of His Home
Simon was understandably becoming concerned for the safety of his home. He hadn't owned it for very long, and already he had discovered what he believed could be a sinkhole in his driveway.
He began questioning what this might mean for the home's foundation. He feared there could be other empty spaces beneath the home that could pose a threat to the structure's safety. Feeling unsure about what to do next, he called on someone for help.
Help From Dad
Simon called someone he knew he could trust to give him honest help and advice: his father. It's a good thing he did so, because his dad was also concerned about the hole and wanted to make sure the property was safe for his son.
Together, they continued to uncover the enormous hole and explore what may have been the cause of it. Simon's father made the brave move of climbing into the hole to get a better idea of what they were dealing with.
Something Man-Made
As the men kept digging, they discovered that the structure was much too precisely-shaped to have occurred naturally. The square hole was clearly man-made, but for what purpose they still didn't know.
Their fear turned into excitement as they realized this hole was no accident. It seemed that a previous owner of the property had dug it up intentionally and reinforced it so they could access the space as needed. That left one question: what was inside?
Uncovering The Truth
While digging deeper was important to see what was hidden in this hole, the men also realized that they needed to dig around the area to uncover the structure. Since they now knew it was man-made, they wanted to see how the builder had constructed the access point.
They discovered a layer of dirt lay immediately beneath the stones of the driveway. Below that dirt was a wooden frame in the shape of a square. And below that frame was something that further proved it was man-made.
A Hidden Ladder
As they continued to dig around the area as well as deeper into the ground, a ladder emerged. They now knew that whoever built this structure wasn't intending on burying something forever.
The ladder was proof that the builder intended to be able to access the hole whenever needed. It was becoming clear that their discovery could hold some historical significance, but they still didn't know of what sort. They would have to uncover some more clues to piece together the mystery.
Going Into The Hole
The men dug so deep that when they stood in the hole, their heads would become level with the ground of the driveway around them. It was a good thing that Simon didn't try to get this far alone.
Their mission was becoming more dangerous the farther they went. Simon went deeper into the hole, looking for anything that might indicate what it was built for. Meanwhile, his father kept watch to make sure his son was okay.
It Was A Bomb Shelter
The men kept digging from inside the hole to reveal that it was a small room of some sort, surrounded by brick walls. It suddenly dawned on them exactly what the purpose of this space had been.
It was a bomb shelter! Sure enough, some research confirmed that a bomb had landed near the area during WWII. They concluded that whoever had owned the home during that time likely built the space to protect themselves from impending attacks.
Larger Than It Seemed
They made a breakthrough discovery as they entered the bomb shelter. The space no longer looked like a hole, but rather a small room underground. It was surrounded by brick walls that still seemed sturdy even after all these decades.
The room was littered with debris such as a plank of wood, chunks of stone, and another small and equally rusty ladder. Simon decided to dig through the debris to see if there might be any old belongings inside.
An Informative Newspaper
As they began digging through the shelter, they discovered artifacts that further proved that the construct was a bomb shelter during WWII. One of the most informative pieces of information they found was an old newspaper clipping.
It was a Herald newspaper from decades ago. The front page featured an article titled "Luton Airport: Is This The End?" The article stated that the local airport may succumb to the destruction of the war. It was surreal to read.
It Was Stocked With Food And Water
More proof that the underground room was a war shelter came when they uncovered food and water among the debris. The non-perishable items were clearly intended to sustain anyone who needed to hide for an extended period of time.
This bottle is one of the items they found in the shelter. Like the other items uncovered, it is rusted and covered in mildew. Simon and his father couldn't believe what they were looking at after all this time.
Various Compartments
The more they explored, the more they discovered just how much thought and planning had gone into the shelter. This was far from merely a hole in the ground. There were various compartments throughout the underground sanctuary.
The parts of the shelter had different heights so that Simon could sometimes stand, but other times had to squat down to fit. It was clear that this underground area was made to be able to fit multiple people at once.
Room To Stand
Though parts of the space had low ceilings, other areas, like this one, were nearly high enough for Simon to stand straight up without having to crouch down very much. Since the shelter was covered in debris, it's possible there was even more space before time had caused it to start to break down.
This left the question of whether or not the shelter compromised the safety of the rest of Simon's home. He would need an expert opinion to determine that.
Possibly Another Room
Since the shelter was full of surprises and secret areas, it begged the question if there might be more to explore. They deliberated peeking through some of the brick walls to see if they expanded into more hollow spaces.
Ultimately, an expert determined that this brick wall was a fundamental part of the home's foundation. Should they continue to explore, they would jeopardize the safety of the property. It seemed that their journey had come to a close.
Newspaper Coverage
As word got out about Simon's discovery, newspapers began to cover the story. Simon became a recognizable member of his community. He was happy to share his discovery with others, especially for the sake of education.
His discovery shed light on where the country was almost a century ago and how far they have come since then. Simon particularly hoped that the shelter would reveal to young students just how important history is and that it can be fascinating to uncover.
Showing Off To His Friends
While Simon was used to having his friends over to show off his musical talents, now he had something of historical significance to share with them. He invited some of his trusted companions over to check out the shelter for themselves.
As they all crowded into the underground space, it became clear just how many people could have fit inside if need be. Overall, the experience was an eye-opener, offering insight into a profound time in American history.
