Taking apart the room has resulted in some interesting discoveries!  The ceiling came down as you’ve seen, and we found an old cigarette pack (empty, before you ask!).  The brand Capstan appears to have first appeared in the UK in 1894, and the packet we found seems to be dated around 1920-1930, so around 100 years old!  (If you’re interested, more information about Capstan can be found here.)

Then under the floorboards we found an (again empty) box of Swan Vesta matches.  These are a much more recognisable brand, but the “3p” on the back dates them to around 1970 (according to Google).

Finally, when the cornicing came down from the edge of the ceiling, we discovered a huge network of nests!  It’s unclear whether these are birds or squirrels nests, and we can only assume they got into the walls via holes in the wall, now thankfully repaired when we did the stonework in 2020.

I’m finding it really fascinating, finding little bits of history as we renovate this room!