A letter written in 1955 has been found virtually intact under a tree in Wolverhampton.
The document was found by gardener Adam Elshaw, who was working in a garden near Tettenhall at the time.
Elshaw, from Bishop’s Wood, Staffordshire, said the homeowners knew nothing about the letter.
He said: “How it got there, and under a tree, and survived 70 years I do not know.
ADAM’S ACRE
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A letter dated from 1955 has been found virtually intact under a tree in Wolverhampton
“I was trimming the tree and tidying it up and I just thought it was a bit of rubbish.
“I was amazed… It’s a once in a lifetime find I think and I’d be interested to see if there’s anything else we can find out about it.”
He continued: “It’s pretty unexplainable currently.”
The letter was addressed to a JR Gwilt Esquire of Stafford Road, Wolverhampton, and was from a hotel in Torquay, Devon.
ADAM’S ACRE
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The letter was addressed to a JR Gwilt Esquire of Stafford Road, Wolverhampton, and was from a hotel in Torquay, Devon
Given the letter details room prices, it can be assumed it was in response to an inquiry about a possible booking from Gwilt.
The typed letter, which is dated January 21, 1955, was on the letterhead of Ashleigh Court and read: “The rooms vary in size and position of course, but all are attractive and comfortable.”
It says room prices were charged at six, seven and seven-and-a-half guineas per person for a week, including board.
Elshaw was a teacher for 25 years before changing career to become a gardener.
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Elshaw described how he ‘was trimming the tree and tidying it up and I just thought it was a bit of rubbish’
He originally enrolled on a business start-up course run by consultants Good2Great in partnership with the council to help train entrepreneurs.
Grant funding from South Staffordshire District Council allowed him to buy equipment to start his gardening business, “Adam’s Acre”.
Elshaw said: “I love being outside, helping others, being creative and making a positive difference and gardening appealed as the perfect fit for my skills and interests.”
He continued: “The biggest challenge was to change career and take a risk stepping into an unknown world of running my own business.”
The letter is not the only recent mystery discovery in a tree, however.
Earlier this month, a mysterious sword was found embedded in a tree near a 13th-century priory.
The blade, which was lodged up to its hilt in the trunk, was found by a walker near to Durham bus station.
Both English Heritage, which preserves the medieval priory where the sword was found, and Durham County Council, which owns the land upon which the sword was discovered, confirmed they had no knowledge of how the blade came to be there.
