An unassuming rabbit hole in a farmer's field in Beckbury, Shropshire, England leads to a remarkable underground network of caves.
In 2017, photographer Michael Scott documented his exploration of the grotto, known as the Caynton Caves in Shropshire. Once inside, he discovered neo-Romanesque rooms, walkways, columns and stairways carved out of sandstone.
Historic England says the grotto is listed as a place of historic interest and was likely built in the late 18th or early 19th century.
Local legend suggests the mysterious Knights Templar, an ancient Christian military order associated with the Crusades, built the caves 700 years ago. Per the Daily Mail, "Some historians believe the caves were carved out by members of the Knights Templar who needed a safe haven at a time when King Philip IV of France, fearful of their power and deeply in their debt, attempted to dismantle the renowned group."
Yet like most modern claims about the Knights Templar, these rumors are dismissed by many historians.
Scott's footage of his trip into the cave recently started making the rounds online. Take a look.
Other images of the underground chambers are credited to Richard Law.
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The site is on private land (the grounds of Caynton Hall) and not opened to the public. Yet uninvited visitors have been in the caves since at least the '80s, with the cave entrance sealed in 2012 due to vandalism. According to The Shropshire Star, rumors suggest pagans and druids have visited the caves recently to perform black magic rituals. Bizarre stuff.
This isn't the first time we've heard of a centuries old discovery on an English farm. In 2016, we shared a story about a farmer who what he thought was a worthless hunk of metal, but actually turned out to be a dagger from the Bronze Age worth thousands of dollars. Find more of that story in the video below.
This story first ran on Mar 9, 2017.
