A woman was left shaken after uncovering a chilling secret hidden in the walls of her 16th-century farmhouse—one that pointed to a dark, long-forgotten practice.
Emmie Brookman, 28, bought the historic three-bedroom home in 2023 with her fiancé and soon realized that it needed major renovation due to pink mold creeping through the walls.
After receiving a quote of over £17,000 (more than $22,000) from professionals to remove the house's outer render, the couple decided to do the work themselves—an effort that led to a startling discovery. While chipping away at the wall, Emmie found what appeared to be a bone lodged inside.
The couple purchased the UK property in February 2023 (SWNS)
Initially spooked by the eerie find, Emmie soon learned that placing bones within walls was a ritual once used to ward off evil spirits—a superstition dating back to the 1500s.
In total, the couple discovered four bones embedded in the exterior walls and two more inside the house. Emmie believes that while most are animal bones, one may be a human finger bone.
"We were taking off the old render near the front door when something fell out of the wall. It was obviously a bone," Emmie explained. "It really creeped me out. What do you even do when you find bones in your wall?"
At first, the couple feared they might uncover an entire body. Emmie, who co-owns a homeware business in Barrowford, Lancashire, had fallen in love with the property's “character and quirks” and purchased it in February 2023 for £311,000 ($417,000). She initially thought the place only needed some new carpets and a coat of paint. But it soon became clear the issues ran much deeper.
Emmie opted to remove the rendering herself after being quoted £17k by professionals (SWNS)
"There was pink mold growing on the walls, it smelled musty, and even our paperwork would get soggy," she said.
They later discovered that the house had been coated with the wrong kind of render, which was trapping moisture and damaging the old stone underneath. Renovations began in August 2024, and it wasn’t long before the bone discoveries started.
Among the strange items they unearthed was a small green bottle filled with ashes and herbs—another possible remnant of old folk practices.
"We read an article about old magical beliefs in Kendal," Emmie said. "People back then genuinely believed in witches. They’d hide bones and herbs in the walls to protect themselves from evil. That’s what they thought would keep them safe."
The couple have now found bones in nearly every room. “One flew out at me. I’m convinced one of them is a finger,” she added.
The young woman made a creepy discovery in the walls of her home (SWNS)
Rather than disposing of the bones, Emmie has decided to preserve their spooky history. Some will go on display, while others have been returned to the walls, as she sees them as part of the home’s story.
And as if the bones weren’t eerie enough, a little research into the property’s past revealed that a convicted murderer, James Hargreaves, once lived right next door. He had attacked his housekeeper and later shot a young legal clerk who had come to serve him court papers.
