Secret Church Discovered Under House

Mysterious and creepy

A family in England have discovered a church right under their house. This would give me the creeps, I *probably* wouldn't spend the night down there if Megan Fox was holding my hand.

The story doesn't offer many details. The UK has a long history of secret churches, synagogues and chapels. In this case, I'm puzzled why it should be lost to time in an undiscovered cellar of a house. Maybe other ATSers can offer an explanation or further details?

An inquisitive family have uncovered a bizarre church which has been hidden under their Victorian home in Shropshire for 100 years. The Farla family made the discovery while investigating what was under a metre-long rectangle metal grid in their hallway.

Family accidentally discover church under home

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/71eb21e3bf50.jpg[/atsimg]

Pretty creepy for the son...just standing in a chapel, in the dark.
Yeah...I wonder why it wasn't "found" before...or maybe it had and closed off, due to something?

Well, 2 generations ago in my family, who were residing in India, they were digging on the land they bought and found a temple. We believe that gave us luck ^^

I *probably* wouldn't spend the night down there if Megan Fox was holding my hand.

Hell, I wouldn't even spend a night down there is Ian Somerhalder was with me.

Whoa crazy! Thanks for posting this. I dont know about you guys but this just screams of something very old and very strange.

I wonder if by opening up they church they let "something" out?

It seems there was a reason this church was closed up. Something must have gone down in there that was to remain secret.

Next thing you know one of the family members ends up possessed by some ancient catholic priest. That could get weird.

Very creepy !

I guess Megan Fox would not make me stay either.

Is Shropshire anywhere near Nottingham ?
Cause underneath Nottingham they discovered a maze of caves and tunnels what operated as a prison. Local pubs have been using small parts as cellar.

They say Robin Hood has been locked in there. You can read it all in this thread:
Robin Hood's Prison: Uncovering Nottingham's Hidden Medieval Sandstone Caves

As for the churge. Maybe they were just catholic or protestant. I don't know if the Anglican churge was very tolerant or not.

I think the article is correct, it was likely a secret Catholic chapel. Open Catholicism was only legalized relatively recently in England (19th c.). It may be hard to imagine today, but there was only a very limited freedom of worship, and to be Catholic really meant you were considered a "traitor" to the Crown. This began mainly after the so-called "Bloody Mary" era, in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, after Cromwell successfully protestantized a still lingeringly "catholic" England, through the forced introduction of the Book of Common Prayer, and then followed up with an incredibly brutal crack-down on those who wouldn't change.

It was serious business. Worse, if you were found to be a Catholic priest, you would be executed, no fooling around, and sometimes in a most painful fashion. But, this did not immediately stop priests from ministering to their faithful, at least in secret. Elaborate set-ups evolved, with very talented carpenters able to create hidden chambers, and cubby-holes to hide priests, that were virtually impossible to find. You can read about how some of these hiding places even had food and water provisions, since often the suspected family harboring the priest would have their home occupied for days on end, while very thorough searches took place.

If you were wealthy, it was even more important not to risk it all, and often a secret Catholic who could afford it, could arrange to have an almost church-sized chamber stealthily built beneath some structure. In fact, the great Shakespeare is one who was reputed to secretly practice Catholicism, with recent receipts discovered proving he at least paid the rent on a house that was found to have a secret place of worship.

Probably most in England are more or less aware of this history, but people in other parts of the world may never have heard of it. Anyway, nothing "spooky" here to me, other than the fact that it's a grim reminder of an ugly and bloody past.

JR MacBeth

reply to post by JR MacBeth


thanks for the most informative reply in/of this thread...

i was drawn to the thread because i thought it was about the retired guy here in the USA that personlly dug a covert 3 level excavation beneath his residence... and he ain't making a stink about his efforts not the discovery........... my kinda person !

What exactly is creepy about this story? That is the coolest thing ever and I am so jealous there is no secrets beneath my home. I cant believe everyone is creeped out this is an archaeologists dream!!

Reminds you a bit of all the underground churches in Juresalem. You can outlaw a religious sect but it'll find a way to survive.

I wonder if their council tax will go up, since they just gained a few hundered more sq. metres in floor space? Or maybe it will go down, since they can claim they're a church now? Even so, they just gained one nice little wine celler!

reply to post by hotbakedtater


Well I've seen and heard to many ghost stories. My mind is completly indoctrinated by them.

Does a history/religious buff know the reason why there might have been a need for a hidden church during that period, in that area? The article states it dates back to the 1700's. I'm trying to recall if Christian persecution might have been around then.

I'm also thinking that although there is a Christian cross there, apparently on the floor, does not automatically make this a chuch. It could have been used for other rituals, even satanic ones.

Oh, I'd spend the night down there in a heartbeat, equipped with all the latest ghost-hunting toys.

reply to post by Kandinsky


I would be a little freaked out myself! I agree with the post that says that an underground room with a cross on the floor does not necessarily mean that it was once a church. Who knows what really went on down there! I bet there are some interesting stories.

Maybe I should get drunk and see whats under my house

reply to post by ladyinwaiting


Hi Lady,

Yes, religious persecution was actually in high gear back then. In the 1600's, there was so much persecution of all non-state religious groups, that many as we know, risked all they had to start a new life across the ocean, in America. Such as the famous Pilgrims. So, underground places of worship were definitely part of the landscape during that period. Things slowly relaxed, as the notion of "Protestant" increasingly morphed into a bigger tent, and as non-Anglican groups gained power (such as the Presbyterians in the North).

As for the Catholics, their lot was the slowest to improve, since they were sometimes linked with seditious elements, that really were a threat to the post-Elizabethan English Monarchy. In fact, it was in the mid-1700's that the Catholics mounted their final assault in England, as Bonnie Price Charlie (Stuart) rallied some Highland clans in Scotland, and began marching South, defeating all in their path as they headed for London. They were stopped only 130 miles from their goal, and many suspect they would have won, had France sent their troops in support. More to the story, but bottom line, underground chapels were probably all over England and Scotland, and the fun part might be that there are still many more to be discovered.

JR MacBeth
MyBlog: Gathering Storms Ahead

JR MdacBeth said:

Anyway, nothing "spooky" here to me, other than the fact that it's a grim reminder of an ugly and bloody past.

Thank you for your reply.

The history does lend itself to some interesting possibilities, however I gather there were no reports from the family that anything identifiable was taking place inside the home, or beneath it.

The history, then, is lamentable, and deplorable.