You never know what’s lurking behind someone’s front door…
If you came across the listing of this gorgeous £240,000 four-floor home inthe quaint historic market town of Rotherham, South Yorkshire, you’d likely pause to admire its charm.
With big inviting windows and a polished stone facade, you could imagine writer Beatrix Potter curled up by the fireplace, working on an illustration of Peter Rabbit.
But if you look a little bit closer, you’ll see that there’s something very dark and sinister concealed within the walls of this historic home.
Each space tells its own story
Listed by estate agents Eadon Lockwood & Riddle, this home resides in Clifton Bank — a quiet neighbourhood just a 13 minute walk away from Rotherham Central station.
Given the fact that Rotherham itself has a long-standing connection to history, acting as a significant town during the Saxon and Viking periods,it isn’t shocking to hear that the area covets a number of houses whose architecture speaks to previous eras.
Ready to start your homebuying journey?
You can access completely fee-free mortgage advice with London & Country (L&C) Mortgages, a partner of Metro. Customers benefit from:
– Award winning service from the UK’s leading mortgage broker
– Expert advisors on hand 7 days a week
– Access to 1000s of mortgage deals from across the market
Unlike many mortgage brokers, L&C won’t charge you a fee for their advice.
Find out how much you could borrow online
Mortgage service provided by London & Country Mortgages (L&C), which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (registered number: 143002). The FCA does not regulate most Buy to Let mortgages. Your home or property may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
And this home in Clifton Bank is no exception.
From the moment you step inside, you’re greeted by ‘feature striking’ fireplaces and ‘old-world character with individuality and charm.’
The elegant lounge and sitting room boast ‘tall sash windows, and ornate cornicing that together create a sense of timeless grandeur.’
It feels like an escape from the mundane, a portal into another world.
But lurking underneath the floorboard is a world some might not want to visit.
Down a set of stairs is the basement cellar — not an unusual feature in these kinds of historic homes. However, this cellar isn’t filled with cobwebs and old bottles of wine.
In this room you’ll find a bizarre wooden chair up against the wall, with what appears to be metal clamps fixed to the arms. While the images of the room are rather blurry, the structure and shape of the chair resemble some kind of torture mechanism — something you’d never imagine you’d come across in a friendly corner of South Yorkshire.
On display for people to view in the estate agent’s online listing, this eery corner sets a completely different tone from the rest of the house.
And while this picture alone would frighten most, the choice of words used in the listing adds a rather…interesting tone.
The description reads: ‘The home’s handsome stone facade, decorative window surrounds, and wrought iron gate all hint at its proud history, while the interiors tell a story of care, imagination, and individuality.’
Metro did reach out to Eadon Lockwood & Riddle but they declined to comment.
Without insight from the owners, it’s not possible to detect whether or not that is actually a torture chair, or iron chair as they were often called.
However, these kinds of devices were historically exclusively used in public spaces for interrogation or punishment, they weren’t typically found installed in private homes.
That being said, who’s to say it wasn’t purchased at a later date?
It’s not hard to find replicas of these kind of medieval decides on platforms like eBay and more traditional auction sites offer.
Interest in Medieval cosplay has seen a great boost through involvement in LARP (live action role-play). In fact, Conquest of Mythodea, one of the world’s largest LARPing event, attracts up to 10,000 people each year.
Ever impulse bought a torture chair?
In November, former history student Sian Cullen spoke to the BBC about the moment when she saw an interrogation chair for sale on social media and immediately knew she ‘just had to have it.’
Selling the chair (and matching cage) solely due to lack of space, Sian added: ‘I’ve always been really interested in the more gruesome and grotesque elements of history. My friends have come and had a look at it and been in the cage and just been fascinated.’
Moving to Scotland in search of a greater ‘wealth of history and beauty,’ Sian couldn’t remember how much she initially paid for the chair — only that it ‘wasn’t a lot.’
The chair visible in the Rotherham property differs greatly from both Sian’s chair and other more ‘traditional’ torture devices.
For example, it doesn’t appear to feature any metal spikes on the seat — a classic feature seen in a number of traditional interrogation chairs.
Perhaps it’s just a really dramatic version of the naughty step…?
Either way, if you’re able to push the dark and dingy cellar to the back of your mind, the rest of the house is truly spectacular.
As described in the listing, ‘the bedrooms are spacious and full of light, each with its own distinctive style, complemented by a well-appointed shower room and additional attic room ideal as a studio, creative space, or tranquil retreat.’
Undoubtedly, this house will end up being sold to someone who loves a great story — and is maybe a history buff themselves.
My only piece of advice? Warn guests before you show them the cellar.
