AN explorer discovered a mysterious tomb complete with its creepy contents when he was photographing an abandoned church.
Photographer Ben James made the shocking discovery in North Northamptonshire, when he came across the human remains by accident.
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Funds are being raised to restore the church to it former gloryCredit: mediadrumimages/@places_forgotte
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The family crypt still contained human remainsCredit: mediadrumimages/@places_forgotte
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Ben discovered the forgotten about crypt while he was out photographing the abandoned churchCredit: mediadrumimages/@places_forgotte
When placing his camera, the tripod leaned and fell through into a family crypt below.
Ben discovered lead-lined coffins, estimated to be from the Victorian era, full of skeletons.
From the contents of the vault, this was a family crypt from around the 1800s, lying undisturbed and forgotten for over 150 years.
The nearby church was built in 1903 and hosted more than 1,000 people to its opening service.
For many years it was the heart of the community, before closing in 2014.
Despite its disrepair, fundraising efforts still continue to raise money to redevelop the church.
So far £920,000 has been raised, with an estimated £150,000 needed to save the dilapidated church.
Ben said: “The vault is in the woodlands about half a mile away from the church.
“I was out doing some photographs and I put my camera on my tripod and it fell to the side into a ditch.
“I noticed a passageway under all the rubble. I went down into this Victorian vault.
“The coffins are lead lined. The one with the skull is a child’s coffin, part of this family crypt from the early 1800s that has been forgotten about.
“Like something out of Indiana Jones, it’s very sinister, that has been unknown about all this time.”
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The vault appears to have been forgotten about for around 150 yearsCredit: mediadrumimages/@places_forgotte
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The bodies of a child and two adults were foundCredit: mediadrumimages/@places_forgotte
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It’s thought the family crypt dates from the early 1800sCredit: mediadrumimages/@places_forgotte
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Ben was pitching his tripod when it fell over into a ditch, revealing the entranceCredit: mediadrumimages/@places_forgotte