Casgliadau Arlein

One of five mid-19th century leather shoes discovered in 1994 behind a fireplace at a house in Llanfachreth.

The most frequently found hidden garments are shoes. This rusty boot was amongst five mid-19th century leather shoes discovered in 1994 behind a fireplace at a house in Llanfachreth. Chimneys and fireplaces were probably chosen as hiding places because they served as the main focal point in most homes – a source of heat and comfort. Shoes were also hidden under floorboards, around doorways and below staircases. Some considered these places to be the weakest part of a building, where evil spirits and witches would enter.

Some believed that that hiding a child’s shoe in a chimney breast or in the walls of a house increased a couple’s chance of having children. A practise that could be linked to this tradition is the tying of old boots and shoes to the back of a bride and groom’s wedding car.