A sinkhole on the 13th hole at Davyhulme Park Golf Club in England has uncovered a long-sealed 19th-century wine cellar from a demolished manor house. Deputy head greenskeeper Steve Hopkins discovered the chamber while investigating what he thought was a collapsed drain. The find includes dozens of empty historic wine bottles, sparking discussions among club members about preservation.
On a recent morning at Davyhulme Park Golf Club, located in Trafford outside Manchester, England, deputy head greenskeeper Steve Hopkins noticed a sinkhole on the 13th hole, an area known as 'The Cellars.' Assuming it was a drainage issue, Hopkins used a digger to investigate. As he dug deeper, the ground opened to reveal a brick-lined, arch-ceilinged chamber beneath.
Hopkins entered through a small underground door and found dozens of empty, blackened glass bottles of wine and port. 'I was basically the first person to go in there for over a hundred years,' he told the BBC. He added to the UK Guardian, 'We’re thinking it’s just a drain that needs digging out and clearing and repairing but as we dug deeper and deeper it just opened underneath us.'
The cellar is believed to have belonged to Davyhulme Hall, a 12th-century manor house once home to the medieval English knight John de Hulme. The hall was demolished in 1888, and the golf club was established on the property in 1911. It was inherited in 1844 by Robert Henry Norreys, known locally as Squire Bob, an avid athlete who created an initial nine-hole golf course on the estate.
The club, which describes itself as the fourth-oldest in England, expanded to 18 holes in 1931 under the design of its professional, Ernest Smith. The bottles have been removed for safekeeping, and the club posted on Facebook: 'The bottles have been removed for safekeeping while we work out their next chapter. Perhaps they’ll make a lovely display in the clubhouse – we’ll keep you posted!'
Members are debating whether to preserve the cellar as a course feature. For now, it does not interfere with play.