Sinkhole reveals forgotten wine cellar under golf course

A sinkhole that opened up on a golf course has exposed an abandoned wine cellar believed to have been sealed for more than 100 years.

Staff at Davyhulme Park Golf Club in Trafford, Greater Manchester, found the brick cellar filled with empty glass bottles of different shapes and sizes under the course's 13th hole.

The cellar is believed to have once formed part of Davyhulme Hall manor house, which was demolished in 1888.

Steve Hopkins, deputy head green keeper at what is believed to be the fourth oldest club in the country, made the discovery on his morning inspection and said: "I was basically the first person to go in there for over a hundred years."

Steve said after spotting the sinkhole he consulted with the green keeper and decided to excavate the area with a small digger.

"When you find a sinkhole on the course it usually means that a drain has collapsed," he said.

"So we're thinking it's just a drain that needs digging out and clearing and repairing but as we dug deeper the chasm underneath just opened up."

Steve said he and his colleagues then noticed a brick structure.

He was able to climb inside and look around with a torch and found dozens of empty glass wine bottles.

"They're all odd shapes and stuff so they're obviously extremely old bottles," he said.

"They all look like they've been hand-blown."

Steve said the structure was in part of the course fittingly known as The Cellars, and is believed to have been a "tradesmen's entrance".

He said one end of the cellar has a door which has been blocked, potentially leading on to a bigger set of structures.

According to Trafford Council, Davyhulme Hall was built by the Hulme family in the 12th Century.

It was inherited by Robert Henry Norreys, who is believed to have founded the golf club on its grounds, in 1844.

According to the club, Norreys died in 1887 and Davyhulme Hall was bequeathed to his nephew J. B. N. Entwisle of Rochdale, who unsuccessfully tried to sell it.

The hall was then demolished in 1888, and some of the land it stood on was bought by the golf club in 1923.

Steve said there had been a "lot of interest" within the club and discussions would take place over what to do next.

"There have been some members who said it should be opened up as a feature on the course," he said.

"It's a selling point on the course because it's obviously our history, but like I say it's up to the club."

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