Florence Welch's renovations of £1.9m 12th century country pile hit by fresh setbacks after builders raise fears over digging up medieval SKELETONS

Daily Mail​

05-05-2025

Buying a 12th century estate in the middle of the countryside is not for the faint-hearted, with spooky stories lying round every corner and planning problems making moving a pain.
And Florence Welch suffered a nightmare discovery after builders working on her Somerset pile raised fears of digging up medieval skeletons.
The You've Got The Love singer, 38, bought most of the large portion of land four years ago and quickly commenced plans to unify four buildings which have stood alone since the 1940s.
She has still not completed her move, however, after being beset with issues including the most recent deathly discovery.
An archaeological document revealed that groundwork on the 900-year-old estate could excavate ancient human bones, as well as more welcome historical artefacts, The Sun reports.
A source close to the ambitious project said: 'Florence has owned three of the buildings and the estate for four years and is fascinated with medieval history and the history of her new home in particular.
She has still not completed her move to the large portion of land bought four years ago after being beset with issues including the most recent deathly discovery (Stock Photo)
'She knew the fourth might be coming up for sale so when she was able to buy it in 2023 she snapped it up.
'It enables her to work towards her dream of living in an ancient, gothic-style building and enjoying time away from.'
A report submitted by John Moore Heritage Services to Somerset Council explained that there was 'clear potential for archaeological remains dating to the medieval period'.
The document continued: 'If human remains are encountered and have to be removed, they will be cleaned, recorded and lifted in accordance with a Ministry of Justice licence.
'Exhumation and post-excavation treatment will be carried out in accordance with published …All associated deposits, e.g. pyre sites, mausolea and mortuary enclosures, will also be fully investigated and excavated.'
MailOnline has contacted representives for Florence for comment.
The Florence And The Machine star previously agreed that she will hand over any medieval artefacts to the Somerset Museums Service.
She has still not moved into the impressive Grade II-listed property which incorporates four buildings in plans approved by the local council.
The sprawling estate boasts more than 50 rooms across three stories, a swimming pool and landscaped gardens.
The move would realise a dream for The Dog Days Are Over hitmaker who has long expressed a desire to live in a building steeped with history.
She told Vogue in 2011: 'I really want a gothic castle, or a church, but I haven't had time because I've only been home for two weeks in the last year.'
Records suggest that no neighbours have objected to the plans, but they could disturb a former occupant of the property, namely, a ghost.
According to local folklore, the spectre of a grey lady has been spotted on the historic property.
The eerie female figure was seen there in the 1970s according to one book about the local legends of the area.
It is not known whether Florence is aware of the 'grey lady' that may reside in her new abode, but the musician is known to be in touch with her spiritual side.
The songwriter has explored in her music ideas of the supernatural, the occult, witchcraft, pagan practices, and Wiccan traditions.
'I spent a lot of time in front of books and old historic buildings convinced that ghosts were real, vampires existed, and having a really heightened sense of those type of things happening around me,' she told Vice in 2015.
The star even started a witch coven in school. 'Me and my two friends made these spell books where we'd try to do spells on our classmates,' she told the publication.
Perhaps having a supernatural presence on her new estate will be a bonus for the spiritual singer.
Florence has previously refused to define her spirituality but says her mother, vice-chancellor of Bristol University, Evelyn Welch, has labelled her an 'animist'.
An animist believes that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence.
The indie singer's 'earliest spiritual moment' came to her as a child in Camberwell, south London, where she grew up and still lives, according to an interview in the New York Times Style, Australia.
She remembers 'just looking at beams of light coming through her bedroom window and feeling connected to something larger,' the magazine reported in December.