What began as a dream home project turned into a shocking discovery for a UK couple renovating a centuries-old church.

Lucy and Rhys Thomas were converting St. Peter’s Church, a 900-year-old building in Peterstone Wentlooge, into their family home when they uncovered more than 80 human skeletons beneath the church floor.

The couple knew they might find some human remains during renovation. An archaeologist had earlier told them they could expect around five or six bodies. What they found was far more than that.

Speaking to British outlet Metro, Lucy Thomas, a mother of five, said the remains were found “buried within the floors of the church”.

“[An archaeologist] said we would only find about five or six bodies, when they started digging, it became apparent there was a lot more than we first envisioned,” the 53-year-old said.

She later learned that in earlier centuries, it was common for wealthy and powerful people to be buried inside churches.

Lucy described how the skeletons slowly came to light during the renovation work.

“The first few were uncomfortable, but we gradually warmed to the process,” she told Metro.

She said the remains showed different kinds of burials, including “husbands and wives, parents with children” laid to rest together.

The couple decided not to move the skeletons. Instead, they chose to respect them and leave them in their original burial places.

Rather than removing the remains, Lucy and Rhys built their home around the skeletons. To protect the burial sites, they installed underfloor heating above them.

Founded in 1142, the church took four years to convert into a house, according to Metro. The project was challenging, but the couple preserved much of the building’s original character.

Their home still has the church’s original walls, tower and bells. The engraved stone floor was removed and reused as a patio.

Despite the unusual discovery, the couple completed their dream home, which now also includes modern features such as a bar and a hot tub.

The story of the Thomas family highlights how history can resurface in unexpected ways, sometimes right beneath one’s feet.