A quaint cottage hiding an eerie 164ft underground tunnel thought to have once been marked as a burial site has gone on sale for £250,000.
The unsuspecting one-bedroom home looks like a cosy countryside bolthole from the outside.
But The Wellhouse, in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, comes with a secret passage extending approximately 50 metres into the hillside.
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The extraordinary feature is thought to be linked to influential Baptist minister and hymn writer Dr John Fawcett, as reported by Luxury Property News.
Fawcett bought land in the area in 1803 and named it Machpelah after the biblical cave purchased by Abraham as h family burial place.
According to local historical records, he intended to create his own private resting place after witnessing graves being disturbed in overcrowded public cemeteries.
A burial vault was also built behind the property for Fawcett’s wife, Susannah, who died aged 74 in 1810.
His nine-year-old granddaughter Esther is also understood to have been buried there the following year.
However, increasing development around the site reportedly ruined Fawcett’s dream of resting undisturbed there.
Susannah and Esther’s remains were later moved to the family vault at Wainsgate, where Fawcett was buried following his death in 1817.
The property listing says the cottage’s long tunnel is believed to have been created as a tomb and associated with Fawcett.
However, it does not claim that its precise original use has been conclusively established.
Back above ground, the detached Grade II-listed cottage is arranged over two floors.
The ground level contains a bright kitchen and dining area, while an open staircase leads to a cosy upstairs lounge with exposed wooden beams and a workspace.
There is also a separate shower room and a bedroom containing a king-size bed, wardrobe and storage.
The entrance is tucked inside an atmospheric stone courtyard featuring colourful plants and an old well – another nod to the property’s name.
Despite the potentially spooky history below, the home is currently being run as a successful holiday let.
It has welcomed guests since 2020 and is being offered as a turnkey business, with furniture and equipment used to operate the accommodation included in the sale.
The new owner could therefore continue renting the cottage to adventurous holidaymakers or keep the unusual hideaway for themselves.
The freehold property has been listed with EweMove for £250,000.
With a romantic stone courtyard upstairs and an abandoned burial plan lurking below, it is certainly not the average one-bedroom starter home.
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