We made horrifying ‘mummified’ discovery while redecorating our attic – old owner used it to ward off evil spirits

A COUPLE made a horrifying "mummified" find said to ward disconnected evil spirits portion renovating their attic.

Dr Declan Keane and woman Michelle's caller location overlooks a colony graveyard thought to person erstwhile been taxable to supernatural attacks.

The dormant feline is thought to person erstwhile protected the house.

The mates are presently renovating the 1773 detached spot that is successful the Dorset colony of Milton Abbas, celebrated for its representation postcard rows of thatched cottages.

Thatchers recovered the mummified feline that had leathery tegument successful a boxed void made for it successful the rear country of the extortion closest to the St James' Church.

The signifier of concealing a dried retired feline to support the location is believed to person taken spot crossed the UK and Europe from medieval times done to the Victorian era.

Superstitious radical believed the preserved feline could ward disconnected everything from earthy and quality disasters to supernatural attacks from witches and evil spirits.

The Keanes accidental it is intolerable to archer erstwhile the feline died, though they judge it to beryllium astir 150 years old.

They person named the mummified feline 'Jimmy' and person enactment it backmost successful the thatched eaves to support up with the quirky tradition.

Mrs Keane, a 52-year-old institution manager of a dental practice, said: "Our house is rather historical and if you spot pictures of Milton Abbas, you usually spot pictures of our house.

"We had the builders up to regenerate the thatching, they recovered a mummified feline among the thatching overlooking the graveyard.

"I was a spot shocked. I thought with a location arsenic aged arsenic this, doing renovations would disturb thing and we'd possibly find immoderate artefacts but I wasn't expecting a dormant cat.

"I spoke to our designer and she said you person to enactment it back, history says they are enactment determination to ward disconnected evil spirits.

"I've ne'er had a thatched cottage earlier and didn't cognize it was a thing.

"I started to bash immoderate probe and I recovered that mummified cats were utilized hundreds of years agone to ward disconnected evil spirits and support the home.

"Our location backs onto a graveyard truthful I'm reasoning it was enactment determination to ward disconnected immoderate evil spirits from the graveyard.

"It each makes consciousness erstwhile you look into the history.

"I've since spoken to erstwhile owners who said they besides recovered him erstwhile they had the thatch replaced and enactment him backmost again.

"At archetypal I thought 'eurgh a dormant cat' but I rather emotion him now.

My canine doesn't privation to spell successful the house, but Jimmy has made maine consciousness a batch better, the location feels truly beauteous with him there.

"We've enactment him backmost safely but I would similar to marque definite he's preserved for hundreds much years truthful I don't cognize if we request to bash thing more, similar enactment him successful a solid case.

"With these houses I bash deliberation we are conscionable the custodians, we look aft it past walk it down to future generations and we privation him to enactment there. It's a beauteous portion of history."

Builder Calvin Curtis recovered the feline on with the thatcher.

He said: "When helium said helium had recovered a dormant feline I thought it was a upwind up.

"It was successful a boxed void successful the thatched eaves successful the rear country of the spot that is closest to the graveyard.

"We present cognize that erstwhile thatchers had recovered it and near it determination arsenic it was rather good known that having a mummified feline successful the extortion was a happening galore years ago.

"It didn't odor oregon anything. What was near of it was the skeleton and leathery tegument of the feline that had been embalmed."