WHEN Mike Nicholls started to dig in his garden, he never expected to unearth treasures from Wokingham’s past.
Mike only planned to lay a cable to a new shed at the house which was built more than 100 years ago.
But he has been amazed at the items he has discovered – and now says he has the “digging bug”.
His latest find is a perfectly preserved glass bottle from the former Wellington Brewery.
“It is in amazing condition and even has a rubber seal rattling around inside,” he said.
“There were lots of other stuff such as broken bottles and crockery, but this little bottle is amazing. I reckon it has been buried there for over a hundred years.”
Mike, who has lived in the house for the past 20 years, posted a video of his latest find on the popular Memories of Wokingham Facebook group.
One contributor said: “It is a Codd bottle designed for fizzy drinks. Looks to be in very good condition. Nice find.”
Another added: “Have some of these myself. Some Wokingham and Reading. The reason they are few is because children back in the day would smash them to play marbles. Great piece of early engineering.”
A third member said: “My Dad has one of these he dug up on a building site in Wokingham. Always wondered what it was for. Great piece of early engineering.”
Mike has also found a bottle from Simonds Brewery in Reading founded in 1785 by William Blackall Simonds.
The company amalgamated with Courage & Barclay in 1960 and dropped the Simonds name after 10 years.
The Wellington Brewery was founded by Robert Dunning who built on land behind the Chair public house in Denmark Street which was later renamed the Duke of Wellington.
At one time, the brewery was selling 2,500 barrels a year before it and its pubs were sold to Ashbys of Staines in 1920 which had its own brewery, so Wellington closed in in 1928.
Mike has also uncovered a sewer which has been filled in and hopes to uncover even more of Wokingham’s past.
“The items I have found are not precious valuables but ordinary items telling the history of the town and the people who lived here,” he explained. “They are items of everyday life of real people. I think that is what is so fascinating and touching.”
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