Simon Marks, a 37-year-old man, recently made an astonishing discovery that has left him amazed and intrigued. Even though he had been living in the same house for a considerable period of time, it was only recently that he stumbled upon a secret hidden within the property he had purchased years ago.
One fateful day, as Simon attempted to park his car, he unexpectedly encountered what he initially believed to be a simple flowerbed. However, as he maneuvered his vehicle, the tires suddenly became stuck, accompanied by strange cracking noises emanating from the driveway.
In exasperation, Simon thought to himself, “Well, this day couldn’t get any worse.” Curiosity prompted him to kneel down and examine the source of the problem more closely, revealing that the pavers of the driveway had cracked and were gradually giving way. This discovery would lead him to an astonishing revelation.
Digging away the surrounding dirt, Simon unearthed a metallic object hidden beneath the surface. Completely unaware of what lay concealed beneath his own driveway, he gripped the metal piece and attempted to extract it, but to no avail. Perplexed, he reached out to his father for assistance, and together they embarked on a journey to unravel the mystery.
Through arduous labor, the pair managed to remove copious amounts of densely-packed mud, eventually revealing an opening. To their surprise, an old, rusty ladder stretched downwards. Filled with curiosity, Simon and his father eagerly descended into the unknown, eager to uncover what lay beneath.
Excitedly, Simon recounts, “My dad saw it and instantly said it’s an air raid shelter. We Googled it and found out there are quite a few in this area.” It became evident that the shelter they had discovered in Simon’s own garden had been constructed during World War II.
“The previous owner must have been aware of its existence,” Simon speculated, “When he built the house and added a garden, he must have deliberately filled it in.” These shelters were a crucial part of protections for people during wartime bombings and were attributed to Sir John Anderson, the inventor.
“One of the walls has been bricked up. I’m ninety percent sure that we won’t find any additional rooms, but I can’t say for certain. It’s possible that when the house was built, they bricked up one of the walls to make room for the foundations,” Simon pondered. “If that’s the case, we may just have to accept it as it is,” he added.
Simon’s captivating story went viral after he shared photos of his extraordinary discovery. Together with his father, he intends to restore the shelter, recognizing its inherent value as an important historical monument. They believe that although that period of history may be behind us, it should never be forgotten, as it offers us a glimpse into the past.
