A couple from Dobwalls have taken a step back in time as renovations to their new bungalow revealed a treasure trove of hidden secrets.

Rosie and Ryan lived in Liskeard for around 10 years – Rosie working as a co-manager for Clarks Auction Rooms and Ryan and electrician.

The pair sold their house in Liskeard back in July 2022 and put down an offer on a bungalow they fell in love with located in Dobwalls.

Rosie said: “We could see the potential in it and loved that it was in a quiet location.”

In late 2023, the pair were given the keys and soon settled in with their daughter, Hallie, and dog Milo.

The bungalow had been left unoccupied for a number of years and required some renovation work before the family could properly move in.

“The day we finally got the keys to the bungalow, we ventured upstairs and noticed a door in the eaves that had been screwed/nailed shut,” Rosie added.

“The bungalow had been completely cleared of all belongings, so we didn’t think it would have anything behind it.

“We came back the following day with a screwdriver and took the door off, uncovering a vast amount of rubbish and belongings.”

Hidden behind the eves of the walls was a collection of items thought to have belonged to the previous owners of the house.

The belongings found inside of the eves of the bungalow
The belongings found inside of the eves of the bungalow ( )

After delving into the boxes, Ryan and Rosie found screwed up newspapers and notepads, soggy materials, old doors and broken glass, and an unfortunate leak in the roof.

Rosie explained: “We also found vintage clothing, fabrics and other personal possessions from the previous owners, such as work diaries, letters and even birth certificates.

“And lots and lots of photos, that were scattered around the eaves.”

The photographs showed the previous owners wedding day, many holidays which looked to include trips to Newquay in the 1950’s, and polaroids of the bungalow in its ‘once loved’ flower filled garden.

“We also found plans for the bungalow from the 1970’s when they wanted to extend the garage and add a carport.” Rosie added.

An old Polaroid taken inside the greenhouse by the previous owners
An old Polaroid taken inside the greenhouse by the previous owners ( )

Since Ryan and Rosie moved in, have worked to clear out the area and took advantage of the dry weather to cut away some trees and shrubbery that had overgrown.

More recently, the bungalow has been granted building control and they have managed to take on some structural jobs.

The pair have said they haven’t found much more treasure other than some stoneware pots and planters buried under the overgrowth in the garden.

Reflecting on the finds, Rosie has said how ‘wonderful’ it was to learn about the previous owners life.

Rosie said: “Although it added a few more jobs to our ever growing “to do” list (and a lot more skip trips) it’s been wonderful to learn about the previous owners.

“All we really knew before was that the lady of the property had sadly passed away, after losing her husband many years prior, and that the house was being sold through probate.

“Now we know that they were childhood sweethearts, who went on many trips around the world, ran a small business selling clothes and being a local tailor, loved the bungalow and growing flowers in the garden and also had a cat called Sammy and a dog called Beth.

“I also feel happy to know that these personal items are now kept safe, in hopes of reuniting them with any surviving family members, instead of being thrown away like I am presuming the rest of the belongings in the house were.”

The pair have started a Tik Tok and Instagram account to document the progress of their bungalow which has gained a lot of traction online.

To find out more visit: @SavingaCornishbungalow