Couple Renovating Their House Uncovers A Secret Room Hidden In The Basement

The Graham-Palmers’ manor was built in the early 1800s at Cefn Lea Park. It was actually the second building to stand on the grounds, as the first burnt down in a 1794 fire. Once the couple dug into Victorian-era practices, this wasn’t surprising.

For instance, their bathrooms would explode…a lot. In their early plumbing and sewer systems, flammable gases like hydrogen sulphide and methane would leak into the home. When an unsuspecting person lit a candle, they would cause a massive explosion.

The first plastic, celluloid, was invented during the Victorian era. Consumers loved the material so much that they added it into clothing. Unfortunately, this was also extremely flammable. Nobody could say whether this caused the devastating fire at Cefn Lea Park, but it led to a tumultuous path.

After the manor was rebuilt, it was inhabited by the Griffiths family. Eventually, it was left to the Kenyon family of Gredington. The Gredingtons held it until 1830, when the home was auctioned at the Wynnstay Arms Hotel.

Reverend Nathaniel Roberts and his wife Frances were the next people to live in the home and surprise, surprise, there was another massive fire. The home went through another massive renovation then.

Next, Sir William Henry Roger Palmer and his wife Eleanor (Frances’ sister) moved to Cefn Lea Park. Finally, it was passed to their son, Sir Roger William Henry in 1854. Following a 1930s renovation, the home remained dormant until Archie and Philippa entered.

It wasn’t a pretty sight. The basement was filled with an enormous pile of items Archie’s family had amassed over the years. Sifting through the piles, the couple discovered something exciting — it seemed like a secret doorway.

If you’re familiar with the true-crime genre, you’ll know that hidden rooms don’t always have the brightest history behind them. Apparently, this one had been covered after WWII. What kind of secret was the family trying to hide?

For once, a secret room had an exciting and not depressing backstory! Behind the Victorian walls hid a kitchen and servant’s hall that hadn’t been touched since 1830. The couple was flabbergasted by the sight.

Stepping into the room was like taking a time machine to another moment in history. This kitchen and servant’s hall would have been managed by entire battalion of staff: butlers, footmen, scullery maids, house maids, ladies’ maids, and valets.

At least 20 servants would have been employed at the Cefn Lea Park home. They worked in the home until the early 1900s, when practices changed for servants. Before then, they had zero time off from their duties.

Also, servants slept in small, cramped rooms that were often devoid of windows. They were exploited by their masters to the point where they had little time to take care of themselves.

Regardless, the kitchen the Graham-Palmers found was magnificent. It had a double range, a spit for roasting meat, ovens covered with soot — all signs of a well-used kitchen. There were also plenty of tea kettles, of course. This was the U.K. after all.

There was also a cookbook from 1911 inside the room. Many of the recipes were impossible to create without a large staff, and the book detailed some amazing recipes: mince pies, pastries, jams, whole-roast pig. Fit for a feast!

Archie grew up never learning about this area of the house. His family cooked meals in a smaller and more modern space in another level of the estate. The basement kitchen was last used before the start of WWII.

The owners hid in the basement during German air raids. Once the threat was gone, the family boarded up the kitchen, and eventually, as piles of items were stacked in front of the opening, forgot about it.

Since their discovery, Archie and Philippa are undergoing a preservation effort to bring the kitchen back to its Victorian-era glory — minus the servants this time. They’re currently redecorating the walls with a Victorian color scheme.

The couple is also refurbishing the tarnished silverware and other cookware they found around the room. They want to honor all parts of the home and the family’s past — especially when it was underneath their feet.

Archie and Philippa were thrilled to connect with a lost chapter of their family’s past. After all, there was no guarantee that old kitchen would ever be discovered. But for other hidden rooms, their designers did intend to return to them, even if it took decades to unlock the secret.