It sounds like the plot of a fantasy story; a simple request uncovers a trapdoor that leads to the past. But for the team in our vape shop a quick trip to the basement to take a meter reading revealed the existence of a centuries old crypt hidden beneath the store.
Door to the past
Store manager at Evapo Maidstone, Sam Jessop, knew only that the trapdoor at the back of the store led to the basement, it wasn’t until he went down there to take a gas reading that he discovered the long-forgotten stone chamber that lay beneath the store. Sam explained;
“I decided to have a look round because I was curious and what I found down there was a bit of a shock. It was like walking into a church. It’s very well crafted – it’s not just a needs-must build – there’s some real stone-masonry work, with great attention to detail.”
Local amateur historian and student Simon White was invited to take a look at the crypt and his research has led him to believe it is part of a priory built in the early 1300s:
“The history is so difficult to find so it’s an ongoing project, but if you look back at the records there’s mention of a priory being set up. I believe it got Royal approval, but I don’t think it was ever established. It didn’t seem to get populated with monks."
According to Simon’s research the priory was built in 1331, and the good quality Kentish ragstone used to build the impressive vaulted ceiling offers another indicator of its age. If correct, this would mean it even predates the Archbishop’s Palace, a local fourteenth century residence of the Archbishops of Canterbury.
An ongoing mystery
Between them Sam and Simon have many theories about what the crypt may have been used for over the years. From nefarious purposes like smuggling or escape routes for gentry, to the somewhat morbid storage space for bodies during the tuberculosis outbreak, to simply the home of the fireplaces that heated the rest of the building, it is possible we will never know all of the secrets of the crypt.
It is believed that the property has been a shop since the arrival of commerce in Maidstone around the 15th century, and surprisingly it is not the only shop in Maidstone that hides a glimpse into the past. Simon’s research has uncovered vaults in a nearby hairdressers, a barbers, and an estate agents, leading him to believe they may at one time have been connected in a wider network of tunnels and basements. Speaking on the ongoing project Simon revealed:
“There’s a theory that tunnels ran underneath the town and were filled up, but I think lots of them still remain. I’m hoping that the more attention we can bring to this project, the more businesses come forward and let us take a look because this has never been properly researched before now.”
Photo credit: Simon White/Ferrari Press Agency
Sources
metro.co.uk 31/01/2023
thesun.co.uk 31/01/2023
express.co.uk 31/01/2023
kentonline.co.uk 31/01/2023
