Grandfather, 70, who discovered 17ft medieval WELL under his living room finds 1725 coin that was tossed in... but did the 300-year-old wish come true?
A grandfather who spent the last decade digging out a 17ft-deep medieval well in his living room floor has found a coin from 1725.
Colin Steer, 70, discovered the well after he noticed a dip in the floor of the living room in his Victorian home in Plymouth, Devon, while redecorating 34 years ago.
At the time he had three small children running around so his wife Vanessa asked him to cover it back up, but when he retired in 2012 he took it on as a project and started digging.
Mr Steer discovered a sword five feet below the soil, leading him to believe it could date back to medieval times, and he said site plans suggest record of the well in the 1500s.
Of the sword, he previously said: ‘It was hidden at a 45 degree angle and sort of just fell out.
‘It looks like an old peasant’s fighting weapon because it appears to be made up of bits of metal all knocked together.’
Colin Steer , 70, discovered the well after he noticed a dip in the floor of the living room in his Victorian home in Plymouth, Devon, while redecorating 34 years ago
He recently found a ring, and a coin from 1725 and hopes to eventually extend the walls of the well up into his living room to create a feature coffee table
At the time he had three small children running around so his wife Vanessa asked him to cover it back up, but when he retired in 2012 he took it on as a project and started digging
He recently found a coin from 1725 and hopes to eventually extend the walls of the well up into his living room to create a feature coffee table.
'I think it would be a great feature for our front room,' he said. 'We still aren't really sure about why the well is there.
'We have looked at old maps to try and work out its origin but we have had no luck.
'But because of the sheer size of it, we have guessed that it could have been used for feeding animals or for two to three families.'
After noticing the depression on his floor, Mr Steer said his first thought was that it was either a buried body or a sinkhole.
He added: 'The house was built around 1895 and we moved in in 1988. We were doing some decorating and I was replacing floor joists when I noticed the floor dipped near the bay window in our front room.
'I immediately thought someone must have buried someone under there or that we had a sinkhole. Since that moment, I decided I was going to dig it out and see what I would find.
Mr Steer discovered a sword five feet below the soil, leading him to believe it could date back to medieval times, and he said site plans suggest it could date back to the 1500s
After noticing the depression on his floor, Mr Steer said his first thought was that it was either a buried body or a sinkhole. Pictured, the front of the Victorian home
'The hole is currently 17ft deep and there is about another four or five-foot that I want to dig out when I eventually get round to it.'
He said there is 4ft of water at the bottom of the well currently 'so everything that I dig out now will be wet and mucky stuff'.
''I don't think my wife, Vanessa, would be too keen if I got that all over our front room. Although she does find the whole thing very interesting too.'
The 17ft hole in the couple's living room is currently covered over by a sheet of Perspex and a trap door.
The couple's grandchildren love to look down the hole through the sheet of Perspex and Mr Steer said it was a great talking point with his neighbours.
He added: 'It is a good thing to show off to people as it is not something that you see every day. I have actually even tried some of the water that is at the bottom of the well. It was really clear and tasted fine to me.
'I am going to get it tested for bacteria and if everything came back good then I could even bottle it up and sell it.'