On November 8, a dramatic sinkhole collapse at All Saints Church in Martock, Somerset, revealed a 300-year-old family vault, sparking both local and historical interest. The incident occurred on the same day as the church’s Remembrance Sunday services, adding a somber tone to the proceedings. The collapsed stone box tomb exposed the underground vault, which had been sealed since the 18th century and contained the remains of Rev. Charles Lewis, his wife, and five other adult family members, as well as two children who had died in infancy and childhood.
Rev. Paul Fillery, the church official, described the collapse as an