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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Ariane Sohrabi-Shiraz & Chloe Cawood

Couple amazed to discover 200-year-old well underneath kitchen floor

A couple were amazed to find a 200-year-old well hidden underneath their kitchen floorboards, and spent weeks transforming it into a feature piece in their house.

Cody Allen, 28, and her husband Kieran, 32, were renovating their home when they found a well, thought to be centuries-old, that still contained crystal-clear water.

The pair, from Newport, Isle of Wight, were initially incredibly shocked, claiming there was no mention of it existing in the deeds of the property, and couldn't bear to cover up the 17ft hole.

Cody explained: "It was not what we expected when I was due to give birth in eight weeks' time. It's around 17ft deep and had crystal clear water in it once we had opened it up.

The well is believed to be over 200 years old (Jam Press)
They found it in their kitchen (Jam Press Vid)

"Initially, we were shocked. It's the last thing you want to find at the end of your renovation and the new kitchen had already been installed.

"We thought shall we just fill it in - but it was in such amazing condition it would have been such a waste."

Instead, they decided to incorporate it into their home with the help of Kieran's construction company and Cody's dad Alan Dickinson, 49.

Together with Kieran's crew, they dug down over a meter before adding 18 courses of bricks and adding lighting and a glass cover on top.

Kieran pictured with the well during the renovation (Jam Press)
The couple got help to transform it into a feature (Jam Press)

Cody explained: "My husband has his own construction business and he and his team were able to carry out all the work in a couple of weeks, complying with building regulations.

"My dad actually came and helped and he built the well up by 18 courses of bricks to bring it to floor level.

"We then got the electrician to wire in the lighting."

It would normally cost between £5,000 and £10,000 to transform a well into a house feature, depending on the size.

And glass over the top (Jam Press)
Cody Allen and her husband Kieran were stunned at the discovery (Jam Press)

According to Cody, the glass was particularly difficult to find, but a "mainland company was able to source it".

She added: "The first piece failed its safety test so we've only had the glass in three weeks now. We had to keep it covered and secured so our dogs don't get too curious."

After weeks of hard work, they managed to pull off the amazing feat.

Do you have a story to share? Email us at yourmirror@mirror.co.uk

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