What's the most interesting link to the past you've found in your Period Property?

[MatthewC]

On stripping wallpaper where there had been a cupboard, we found a pencilled note from 1879 saying who had done the papering! We found some later ones from the 1940/50s all by one chap with a local surname (also seen on a memorial in church), plus one from 1975 by the same chap and (presumably) his son.

A set of cupboards in the kitchen had loose paper laid on them - newspaper from the 1950s including adverts for the films at the local cinema - Marx Brothers "Duck Soup", and "Calamity Jane"

We only found one coin - a halfpenny dated in the 1950s - quite disappointing!

 

[LeeL82]

Weve found a late 19th century belgian coin.
The original key for the front door under the floor boards the rim lock was still on the door and it now works!
A lot of 60's porn under the floor boards in the eaves cupboards and wine bottles with pants sutffed inside
plety of writing on the walls and one drawing of what looks like the star of david (the house belonged to free masonry back in the day)
some dodgey electrics including live wres simply tucked into walls
unliimted mice and wasp nests
we found the old iron deadlight and skylights in the woods in the garden and put them back in the roof too

no doubt when we come to do the last two rooms this list will grow!

 

[overlander matt]

I found an old plasterer's hawk in a recess below the floor boards that probably dates back to the original construction but other than that, there have been old newspaper articles that have helped to date when certain changes were carried out - often contradicting the stories told by the previous owners.

The lead sheets on the dormers were signed by various workers who carried out repairs to the house. Most after a fire burned the roof off in the 1950s. I quite like the general scribblings to be found under the wall paper although they're not always complimentary...

The previous owner had found a lot of letters written to the Italian prisoners held in the house at the end of WW2 (allegedly it was classified as a POW camp) but we were unable to find any.

 

[Flyfisher]

The previous owner had found a lot of letters written to the Italian prisoners held in the house at the end of WW2 (allegedly it was classified as a POW camp) but we were unable to find any.

Have you checked under the wallpaper for any elaborate paintings by the Italian PoWs . . . like these WW2 nissan huts:
https://www.orkney.com/listings/the-italian-chapel
:wink:

 

[overlander matt]

Have you checked under the wallpaper for any elaborate paintings by the Italian PoWs . . . like these WW2 nissan huts:
https://www.orkney.com/listings/the-italian-chapel
:wink:

It sounds like they should have come to Derbyshire. Sadly there was nothing of interest done to the house during the POW years that I am aware of. Another house in the village may have had some plasterwork repaired by some of the POWs the rumour has it.

 

[CliffordPope]

wine bottles with pants stuffed inside

A kind of Molotov cocktail, the petrol long evaporated?

 

[Pennyviz]

Could it have been dismantled, re-marked during that process and then re-assembled perhaps?

I’ve not noticed any such markings on our roof timbers but some show signs of being previously used elsewhere . . . unless the original builders just liked to practice cutting mortises that were not used.

The numbers make sense and in order. as I say carpenters marks like this are a recognised feature in some buildings:

https://rakinglight.co.uk/uk/arabic-assembly-marks-in-medieval-timber-framed-buildings/

Dan Miles did my Dendro dating, and it was someone from VAG who contacted him.

 

[JBean]

We lifted the astroturf and concrete slabs in our tiny back garden - and found some large and beautiful stone steps, still in situ, showing that we once had a different exit down onto the street.

Nearby we found a small pond with a fountain. That finally explained a switch in the kitchen that didn't seem to do anything. Now and again I'd turn it on and wonder what it was powering. When we found the fountain we found the answer - the pump had been pushing the water round under the astroturf...

 

[Feltwell]

When we found the fountain we found the answer - the pump had been pushing the water round under the astroturf...

Sounds like a quality job, Astroturf straight over the top! :roll: The mind boggles at what some folks think are "improvements".

Stone steps sounds like a great discovery though!

Alas very, very little here. Previous owners gave us a bag of coins and bits they'd found, but I've found next to nothing. I tell a lie - I did find where the Victorians had been burying their rubbish in the garden, that yielded some complete bottles and of course lots of broken pottery and things like shoe buckles. It does make you think though just how little of what they disposed of, with no rubbish collected, did not rot away - compared to what we throw away now.

 

[Roger111]

For us (Grade 2 listed terrace).

1 Pair of childs gloves lace
several letters, one with post mark on envelope form 1863


Bit of a mystery:

Behind the fireplace behind brickwork in all the dust and rubble is letters and newspapers from 1860s cant see how they didnt burn

!

 

[LadyArowana]

Our house dates to 1767, but all we have found was a newspaper from the 1970’s with an advert for a “Pie Supervisor” to work at a local processing factory, disappointing really. Stripping back all the walls shows evidence of when some rooms had partitions and there was the remains of a loo in the vaults, but nothing at all remarkable.

 

[CliffordPope]

Cat skeleton buried in the wall.

 

[philpjuk100]

We found a jug in the roof, "witch bottle"? but no stopper and only full of dust and dead flys, now replaced in the same position, when a neighbour's house was surveyed a cat was found in the roof of an outshut.View attachment 1

 

[Gothichome]

A pair of worn out shoes between the walls by the front door threshold. At least so far. Also found a few dead bats and a squirrel skeleton beside an aluminum pan filled with strychnine does that count?

 

[Easrow]

Most of our house has been renovated in the past, in the 50's maybe, and almost all features removed. We have been putting things right where possible over the last 4 years. We have found original blue lies flagstones under the concrete floor, between the flags we found an old flour bag clip, old wiring including lead, rubber, and copper chaulk filled. Under one floor board it was written who installed the 1st electrics and when. We have found lead pipes...still in use. Our latest find is a hand dug, stone lined well which was concreted over. The previous owner lived here for 40 years and never knew it existed. I'm now in the process of emptying it of rubble and other rubbish. So far I've unearthed old fire bricks, lime render and some bottles. 9ft down and only just below water level so more treasure to find yet. I'm very interested to get to the bottom as our house was built in 1847 on the site of a 15th century church house, which later became the poor house.

 

[Easrow]

Most of our house has been renovated in the past, in the 50's maybe, and almost all features removed. We have been putting things right where possible over the last 4 years. We have found original blue lies flagstones under the concrete floor, between the flags we found an old flour bag clip, old wiring including lead, rubber, and copper chaulk filled. Under one floor board it was written who installed the 1st electrics and when. We have found lead pipes...still in use. Our latest find is a hand dug, stone lined well which was concreted over. The previous owner lived here for 40 years and never knew it existed. I'm now in the process of emptying it of rubble and other rubbish. So far I've unearthed old fire bricks, lime render and some bottles. 9ft down and only just below water level so more treasure to find yet. I'm very interested to get to the bottom as our house was built in 1847 on the site of a 15th century church house, which later became the poor house.

Well today we got down to the bottom of the well. No treasure. Some bricks, bits of flag stone, lime plaster and a big chunk of wood (possibly part of the well once upon a time)
Just for info it is 3.5mtrs deep. The water at the moment sits at about 1mtr deep. The bottom is bowl shaped cut out of the rock. It fills back up pretty quickly once the pump is turned off.

 

[LadyArowana]

Well today we got down to the bottom of the well. No treasure. Some bricks, bits of flag stone, lime plaster and a big chunk of wood (possibly part of the well once upon a time)
Just for info it is 3.5mtrs deep. The water at the moment sits at about 1mtr deep. The bottom is bowl shaped cut out of the rock. It fills back up pretty quickly once the pump is turned off.

How exciting, I hope you can share some pictures. Any idea what you’re going to do with it? I hoped we might have such undiscovered treasure, but apparently our water supply ( before mains ) was always via cistern and pump elsewhere from our property according to our very knowledgeable senior plumber.

 

[Cubist]

Not sure if this one fits the term 'interesting' but it was certainly a surprise. Sadly no photos but...

When we came to view Fircroft before the purchase we naturally wanted to take a look around the gardens. Thats another incorrect term actually as the site extends to around three acres crudely bisected by a bridleway and further divided into four fields all of which, barring the formal garden around the house, had been neglected for maybe forty years or more. Heavily overgrown as you might expect with extensive bramble and bracken patches rising to eight feet in height so our 'look around' was more akin to a jungle expedition than a quick sortie through to the flower beds.

We ended the tour under the two Yew trees situated at the back of the house and as I was getting my breath back I happened to look down to see ....a tombstone lying on its back under one of the trees and with, on first glance, the vendors name on it. When I got over my surprise a closer look revealed it to be the stone from the vendors fathers grave.

Despite the appropriate position I'm glad to say the previous owner took it with him when we completed the purchase.

 

[Feltwell]

Hmm, better than what I found when I googled my name. I have an unusual name, first few hits are all me and to do with work - but then the next one is a picture of a gravestone with my name on it! :shock:

My namesake shuffled off his mortal coil in the 80's if I remember rightly. I don't even like the gravestone - it's heart shaped, not very me.

 

[philpjuk100]

Never tried that, so I've just "Googled" my name and got a pic of Manuel from Fawlty Towers!