Golf Course Sinkhole Reveals 100-Year-Old Wine Cellar

Steve Hopkins thought he was dealing with a collapsed drain near the 13th hole at Davyhulme Park Golf Club. Instead, he became the first person in over a century to step inside a piece of forgotten history.

The deputy head greenkeeper noticed a small depression on the 13th tee at the Manchester golf course. These sinkholes weren't unusual, so Hopkins grabbed a shovel expecting a routine repair job.

But as he dug deeper, the ground kept opening up beneath him. Then he spotted a small doorway.

Hopkins carefully climbed through and found himself standing in a brick wine cellar. Dozens of empty wine and port bottles lined the forgotten space, untouched for more than 100 years.

The discovery makes perfect sense when you know the history. That section of the course is actually called "the Cellars," though most players probably never knew why.

The hidden room once belonged to Davyhulme Hall, a manor built by the Hulme family in the 12th century during Henry II's reign. The estate changed hands over the centuries before Robert Henry Norreys inherited it in 1844 and created a nine-hole golf course on the grounds.

When Norreys died in 1887, the manor went up for sale. Nobody bought it, and the building was eventually demolished, leaving the cellar buried and forgotten beneath what would become a modern golf course.

Why This Inspires

The club's staff and members are already buzzing with ideas about what to do with their unexpected treasure. Some have suggested turning the cellar into a permanent feature on the course, giving players a glimpse into the estate's medieval past.

For now, the cellar has been safely sealed while the club considers safety concerns and logistics. The bottles have been carefully removed and may eventually find a new home as a display in the clubhouse.

"It's quite exciting for the golf club," staff member Martyn Hamer said. "We do have a rich history."

Hopkins will never forget being the first person in a century to walk through that small doorway into the past.