Florence Welch Has a Problem with Her New Property: It Might Hold an Archaeological Secret

The Florence and the Machine frontwoman purchased the impressive historic mansion in southwest England four years ago. The British pop star has yet to move into the new home due to planned renovations. The property’s redevelopment looks set to be delayed even further, with a new archaeological report revealing the property is believed to contain human remains dating back to the Middle Ages.

Florence Welch acquired the vast 12th-century manor house in 2021, paying £1.9 million for it. The estate, which consists of four buildings with more than 50 rooms in total, as well as several gardens and a swimming pool, is located in Somerset, in southwest England.

- Florence is fascinated by the history of the Middle Ages, and in particular the history of her home. She wants to fulfill her dream of living in a Gothic villa far from the crowded London - a friend of the leader of the band Florence and the Machine once revealed in a conversation with the press.

The British pop star has not yet been able to move into her new home due to extensive renovation work that has been planned. However, these plans may be temporarily thwarted by experts’ findings that the singer’s property is likely a burial site from the Middle Ages .

Florence Welch Estate/photo: Google Earth

A 22-page archaeological report submitted to Somerset County Council by John Moore Heritage Services says the Welch Estate has "a clear potential for archaeological remains dating back to the medieval period".

If human remains are in fact found on the artist’s plot, the resulting avalanche of procedures will likely delay further renovation work.

- Exhumation and post-excavation activities will be carried out in accordance with guidelines. All associated pyre sites, mausoleums and tombs will also be excavated and fully investigated - the report quoted by "The Sun" said.

The 38-year-old singer has entered into an agreement with Somerset Museums Service under which she has agreed to donate any historical artefacts discovered on the property to the organisation.

Although Welch’s neighbors have not yet opposed the plans to redevelop the historic property, if local legends are to be believed, it could disturb the peace of the house’s former resident. Namely, a ghost that locals call the “gray lady.” According to numerous publications devoted to the folklore of the area, in the 1970s, county residents repeatedly saw a disturbing female figure, believed to have demonic characteristics, in the area around the artist’s current property.

Florence Welch Estate/photo: Google Earth

The artist is very close to the subject of supernatural phenomena, occultism and pagan rituals. As she confessed a few years ago in an interview with Vice magazine, in her youth she believed in the existence of immaterial beings.

- I read books like this and I was absolutely convinced that ghosts were real and vampires really existed. I had a very strong feeling that these things were happening around me - the artist revealed. She added that she even organized a witches' coven at school. - My two friends and I made a spell book, trying to cast spells on our classmates - Welch revealed.