Emmie Brookman, 28, and her fiancé Norton Johnston, 34, bought the property in February 2023 and have spent the last 18 months renovating the three-bedroom home
Emmie Brookman, 28, was left feeling “really creeped out” after making a chilling find while renovating her 16th-century farmhouse.
She and her fiancé, Norton Johnston, 34, had embarked on a DIY renovation of their three-bedroom property after discovering pink mould on the walls.
Opting to remove the exterior render themselves to avoid a hefty £17,000 professional fee, they were stunned to unearth a bone embedded in the wall.
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The initial shock gave way to intrigue when Emmie learned that during the 16th century, bones were often placed within walls as a superstitious protection against evil spirits.
The couple found a total of four bones externally and two more inside, with Emmie suspecting one to be a human finger bone, while the others appeared to be animal remains.
Adding to the property’s eerie past, they discovered that local murderer James Hargreaves once resided in the adjacent manor house.
Despite the macabre history, Emmie, who co-owns a homeware business and hails from Barrowford, Lancashire, hasn’t been deterred.
She recounted the moment of discovery: “We were taking the render off and when I was by the front something popped out of the wall.”, reports the Mirror.
“It was very obviously a bone. I was really creeped out. What do you do when you find a bone in the wall?
“We found about four more in the exterior. At first we thought we were going to find a full body.”
Emmie had purchased the home, dating back to the 1580s, in February 2023 for £311,000, charmed by its unique “character and quirkiness”.
The couple initially thought the property just needed some “new carpets and paint”, but soon discovered it required much more work. Emmie revealed: “There was pink mould growing on the wall. It smelled really musty. Our paperwork would get soggy.”
They realised that the incorrect render had been used on the property, trapping moisture. They had to painstakingly chisel it off to reveal the old stonework beneath.
The renovation began in August 2024, with the couple opting to hand-chisel the render off themselves at a cost of just £300, instead of the quoted £17,000.
However, Emmie and Norton, who works as a science teacher, were taken aback when they found bones within their walls – along with a peculiar green bottle filled with ashes and herbs. Emmie shared: “We found an article on magic in Kendal and read that they really believed in witches.
“They used to put bones in the walls and herbs to ward of the evil. It’s what they believed was protecting them. We’ve found bones in near enough every room. One flew out at me and one I believe to be a finger.”
Emmie now plans to display some of the bones and has even returned a few to the wall. She explained: “They are part of the house.”
After delving into the history of their home, they also discovered that Hargreaves lived next door.
Hargreaves was convicted of assaulting his housekeeper and then shooting a young solicitor’s clerk in the back who had served the writ on him.
The couple have now completed the structural work on the property, with just two bedrooms and two bathrooms left to spruce up.
Emmie reckons they’ve shelled out between £10,000 to £15,000 so far, and is refurbishing it “sympathetically” to maintain the property’s original style.
She stated: “If we’d have had professionals we’d be at £50,000 to £60,000. I like to find something that has a story and fits in the house.
“We found reclaimed radiators from Facebook Marketplace from an old fire station.”