A housing development has revealed a spooky secret dating back to the 1950s.

What lurks beneath the ground at the former Ryarsh brickworks in the village is a train which used to serve the site.

Buried under concrete, the ghost train was on the verge of being forgotten about - until a property developer moved in and began digging.

The former Ryarsh Brickworks was demolished by developer Redrow at the end of last year to make way for 91 homes, but now workers have dug into the concrete foundations and uncovered some reminders of the past.

Train carriages, boilers and tracks have been dug up at the old factory; the remnants of what was once a steam railway used for transporting materials.

One resident said: “Six months ago, I stumbled upon an old boy who used to work at the brickworks peering through the fence.

“He told me he was looking to see if any of the things they buried had turned up yet.

“Apparently when the railway turned electric in the 1950s all the redundant machinery and vehicles were buried on site as they were too heavy to move.

“I think Redrow was anticipating about 6in of concrete, instead at points it goes down 6ft.

“I think the company was planning to be here for two weeks and be finished by the end of summer but it looks like this is delaying the process.”

The Roughetts Road facility was built in the 1930s and expanded in the 60 years that followed until it closed in the mid 1990s.

The railway ran for half a mile from the quarry behind The Street, under a tunnel – part of which remains standing – and on to the brickworks.

The site in the middle of the village has been unoccupied since the closure and was bought by a number of construction companies who kept it in use.

Last year it was acquired by the housing developer.

As well as houses, the development will include more than 8,000 sq ft of commercial floorspace.

Ryarsh Parish Council chairman David Storey said: “It’s great to see the land being put to good use.

“I remember talking about it when an application first went in 10 years ago.

“People will be pleased to see something happening at last.”

The site has been a source of controversy in the past, with the decision in 2012 to grant trucks access between 6am and 10pm being met with disdain by residents.

Redrow was unavailable for comment on the situation.