Ghoulish visitors are flocking to a churchyard after a tomb collapsed into a sinkhole, revealing a 300-year-old underground crypt.
The box tomb, above ground, plunged into a 12ft hole which opened up beneath it over the weekend.
Four people from the same family are thought to have been buried on shelves inside, and investigations are taking place to identify them using church records.
The crypt, which has been fenced off for safety reasons, has already attracted dozens of visitors to All Saints Church in Martock, Somerset.
The 12ft sinkhole was probably caused by heavy rain eroding the soil and foundations over time, according to Reverend Paul Fillery.
The box tomb, which sat above ground, plunged into a 12ft hole that opened up beneath it over the weekend
Four people from the same family are thought to have been buried on shelves inside the crypt
All Saints Church in Martock was built over several centuries, with parts dating back to the 13th century and significant rebuilding in the 15th and 16th centuries
‘There’s a family crypt underneath, a proper room made with Ham stone,’ he said.
‘We haven’t found any human remains yet and you can’t read the inscription because the tomb had been reduced to a pile of rubble and earth.’
Martock Parish Council, which is responsible maintenance of the churchyard secured the site with safety barriers.
Ham stone, which makes up the walls of the crypt, is today quarried in only two sites at Ham Hill.
Reverend Fillery said research will be done to identify the family because of the church’s Grade I status, which means information such as this has to be recorded.
‘The next door tomb is from 1760, so we believe this one is over 300 years old,’ he added.
‘Thankfully, this does not appear to have done any damage to any neighbouring graves.’
All Saints Church was built over several centuries, with parts dating back to the 13th century and significant rebuilding in the 15th and 16th centuries.
