Couple Rip Down Wall To Reveal 245-Year-Old Door, Shock At Where It Leads

Newsweek

2 days ago

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
A couple renovating their home were shocked to discover a 245-year-old hidden door leading to the most unexpected of places.
Interior remodeling was the most frequent project undertaken by U.S. homeowners renovating their property in 2024. A Statista survey of just over 20,000 U.S. adults found about 69 per cent of respondents had completed some interior remodelling over the previous 12 months.
While all renovations are done with a view to improving a home and adding value, sometimes unexpected surprises can spring up as a result. That was the case for Deborah and Luke Finch, a UK couple who made a shock discovery just days after moving into a picturesque home with a unique history.
"The house was built in 1780 just outside of Durham by the Prime Minister Charles Earl Grey," Deborah Finch told Newsweek. "The Grey family name is on the original deeds."
Deborah and Luke Finch were intrigued to see what was behind the plaster board.
Deborah and Luke Finch were intrigued to see what was behind the plaster board.
Instagram/the_olive_finch
Charles Grey served as Prime Minister from 1830 to 1834. During his time in office the Great Reform Act of 1832 was passed, giving a greater proportion of the UK population a chance to vote. He also passed the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833, which ended the practice in the British Empire.
Though Finch and her husband had fallen in love with the property the moment they first laid eyes on it, they agreed it was in need of an update and wasted little time in getting to work. "We began decorating the house soon after we'd purchased it," Finch said.
Things took an unexpected turn when they noticed a section of stone wall in one of their hallways that was being covered over by plasterboard. "We really wanted an exposed stone wall and one night just started pulling at the plasterboard," Finch said. "Before we knew it we'd pulled off almost half a wall."
As they were ripping away at the plasterboard, Finch and her husband came across something else. "We noticed a bricked up section and decided to pull down some bricks. We were too curious to see what was behind," she said. "That's when we found the doorway."
In removing the plasterboard, Finch had uncovered a doorway sealed up by bricks dating back to 1830. She quickly realized where the doorway led: right through to her neighbor's house.
"We went straight next door to ask if we could look to where it led and if they knew there had been a door between us," she said. "It led into their kitchen - we joked with them about what it would be like if we opened it up again."
After conducting a little more research, Finch discovered that the two homes had once been part of the same property and that the door was used by servants. "If you put an ear to the bricks you could hear the sounds of next door," Finch said "Our dogs used to talk to each other through it!"
The doorway's original wooden lintel and some old quarry tiles were visible around the doorway. But while there was undoubtedly a temptation to open it up, Finch wasn't sure about creating a doorway between the two homes. So they found a different solution.
"We kept it sealed up with the original bricks and made it into a shelving display. It was a talking point every time someone came round," she said. "We didn't realise how much work would be involved to finish the wall but after finding the doorway, there's no way we could cover it up again so we kept it!"
Though it may have resulted in a lot more work than they had bargained for, Finch has no regrets about ripping up that plasterboard. "We were so shocked," she said. "We were just so thrilled to have chosen that wall to expose or it would have remained hidden today and no one would ever know it was there!"
The couple shared the video of the "hidden door" to their TikTok page, @the_olive_finch, at the end of May, where it amassed more than 2,000 views.
The story follows on from that of a couple who made an alarming discovery while renovating their 135-year-old home. In another surprise discovery, a couple who had recently purchased a home dating back to the 1600s found something unwanted when they began removing the wallpaper at the property.