Fake walls, secret passageways and concealed rooms are among the hidden treasures discovered in the depths of Nottingham's Malt Cross.
The city centre bar, in St James's Street, is currently closed while it is transformed into a new state-of-the-art heritage, education, tourism, arts crafts and music centre.
During renovation works, a number of unique discoveries have been made, including a secret passageway to its 13th century cave, and a hidden room behind a fake fireplace, built into a fake wall.
A traditional (potential Victorian) barrel holder, authentic Victorian glazed brick archway, and Egyptian-themed artwork - believed to be from the twentieth century - have also been found.
Jo Cox-Brown, chief executive of The Malt Cross Trust, said: "We knew we could unearth one or two treasurers, but certainly not this many.
"A couple of years ago a local man visited the venue and told me that his grandfather and his friends used to do cock-fighting in the Malt Cross. When the police raided the place, they used to scamper up this secret hole, out of the caves, and into a secret room behind a fireplace.
"I thought he was having me on because I had never seen a secret fireplace but now, after finding all of this, I believe he was telling the truth.
"Everyone is really excited to discover more about the items we have already found and to see what we uncover next as we dig deeper. If there are any historians, or people with stories of the Malt Cross, we would love to hear from them."
The renovation project, which is being partly funded by a £1.38 million Heritage Lottery Fund Grant, also includes a refurbishment of the existing bar and gallery area.
Some of the items are undergoing further research to determine more about their history and it is hoped that many of them will go on display when the building reopens in October.
Paul Spittlehouse, of Taylor Pearson Construction Ltd, is site manager of the project.
He said: "I find it a fascinating building which has a lot of history. The archway really took is by surprise because it was hidden behind wall, and no-one knew it was there. It was a nice find."
If you have stories of the Malt Cross contact info@maltcross.com.
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