Golf course sinkhole turns out to be centuries-old wine cellar

By Charlie Fenton

A groundsman stumbled across a sinkhole on a golf course and was stunned to discover it led to an abandoned 19th-century cellar with dozens of wine bottles.

Deputy head green keeper, Steve Hopkins, was walking past the 13th hole at the Davyhulme Park Golf Club when he noticed a small sinkhole near the tee.

He assumed it was a collapsed drain and after discussing it with the club they allowed his to excavate the area with a small digger to assess the situation.

But what he didn't expect to find was a brick vault holding a large 19th-century wine cellar with dozens of bottles which were sadly empty.

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

Steve said: "I am the first person to go in that room for over a hundred years.

"I was walking back to the greenkeeping facilities when I noticed a small sinkhole on the 13th tee, which is not unusual.

"At the time we just thought it was a collapsed drain.

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

Upon digging, he found a small doorway that he had to crouch to walk through.

He then flicked on his flashlight and discovered an arch-ceilinged cellar containing dozens of empty blackend glass bottles sitting among debris.

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On the other end there was also another entrance but it was blockaded by rubble - but Steve believes it may house some further structures.

According to Trafford Council, Davyhulme Hall was built by the Hulme family in the 12th century and inherited by Robert Henry Norreys.

It is Robert who is believed to have founded the golf club on its grounds in 1844.

After it was demolished, some of the land it stood on was bought by the golf club in 1923.

The 13th hole is also fittingly known as 'the Cellars' - as it was possible the tradesmen's entrance and suggests the vault was never fully forgotten.

Steve has been a lot of 'interest' in what should be done now with the cellar, with some saying it should be opened as a feature of the course.

But the groundmen said it is up to the club to decided what to do.

Speaking on X the club said: "An exciting discovery on the course today.

"Following the appearance of a sinkhole on the 13th hole, our greens team uncovered what appears to be an old cellar, believed to date back to the original manor house.

"Over 100 years old and filled with historic wine and port bottles."

One person commented: "I wonder if the other holes had collapsed, and if the next hole contained lots of delicious food!"

Another said: "You have to make this a cool fixture of the club.

One other commented: "Turn that into a cheeky 19th hole wine tasing getaway for sure. Very cool."

Site managers say the area around the hole remains cordoned off while structural engineers and historians from the local council assess the site.