THREE graves dating back to the 19th Century have been unearthed after building work ended at a multi-million pound hotel.
When the controversial extension was built last year, gravel covered large swathes of ground to the rear of the hotel.
As contractors began clearing away, John Newton, golf academy director at Tarporley Portal Hotel, asked them to dig a little further to satisfy a vague memory.
He said: “I had been told there was something there and trees nearby, I think, were planted at the time.”
But what he found was three headstones dedicated in Latin to favourite family pets belonging to the former great house on the Portal estate.
“They’re quite moving in their own way. The inscriptions are baffling us, though, and we’d love someone to translate them for us.”
The pets were Maie-Maie, Teddy and Foxey. Teddy’s inscription reads: “Hyeme et aestate et prope et procul usque dum vivam et ultra.”
Mr Newton would like anyone who can translate the epigram or shed any light on the three mysterious graves to come forward.
