A long-forgotten "spooky" part of history has been found hidden under town centre shops.

The secret crypts which are believed to date back as far as 1331 are beneath Maidstone High Street.

History researcher Simon White first heard of their existence when visiting the former Rawlings Opticians at the top of Gabriel's Hill.

Staff mentioned there were underground structures beneath the premises which seemed medieval – setting the 42-year-old on a mission to find out more.

Fast forward several years and Simon has unearthed details of what he believes are a significant part of the town's history.

He said: "The Rawlings staff said the crypts were a bit spooky; their existence was quite surprising to me, as there are very few pictures of them.

"There were some black and white pictures online, but it was very difficult to find out about them."

Simon has been looking into Maidstone's past alongside his postgraduate degree in geographical information systems.

He contacted businesses along the high street, specifically ones surrounding Jubilee Square and was soon contacted by Sam Jessop at vape shop Evapo – the previous home of Rawlings.

The store manager, who has worked at the Grade-II listed building for five years, told how he'd discovered the crypts during a meter reading.

He said: "I’ve been down there a few times, normally it is a two-man job just because of how heavy the trapdoor is.

"I was quite surprised at how much history there was; it’s a hodgepodge of stuff down there.

"You have something which dates back well before the 1600s and then you see electrical wires coming up through the floors. It’s really interesting."

Simon added: "When Sam sent me initial images, it was the first time I'd seen them in colour and they had good detail as well.

"I thought they would definitely need to be investigated. According to my research they are from around 1331 – but I would like to see that confirmed."

A crypt is defined as stone chamber beneath the floor of a building, usually a church, which typically contained corpses, coffins, religious relics, or were used to store barrels for brewing.

Simon believes the discovery originally made up a much larger area of land.

He said: "I am not actually sure if it was established as a priory – I think it was built as such, but didn't actually become one.

"If you look at the structure, the oldest part are the arches, but the floor was resurfaced at some point and raised.

"However, if the priory [a small monastery or nunnery] was built in 1331, it could be older than the town's Archbishop's Palace."

It is thought the crypts were eventually bricked into sections and filled with concrete to contain the basements of each shop.

The researcher also suspects the arches and pillars are made of Kentish ragstone – a popular material used in historical buildings such as Maidstone Prison, Westgate in Canterbury and the keep at Dover Castle.

As well as Evapo, Simon has been allowed down Top Barber along the High Street, and most recently Lau Hairdressing in Gabriel's Hill.

The businesses didn't have any archways, but contained old brickwork and signs of passageways which have been blocked off.

During the past few months, Simon has been documenting his progress on a Facebook group called Maidstone Past.

He added: "I am an enthusiast myself, but it’s the nature of the crypts being hidden and the history being so mysterious that has really gained my attention.

"It’s like visiting an old church or building – very quiet, a bit musty and damp. I suppose it is atmospheric, like you have stepped back in the past.

"It’s almost as if you didn’t believe they did exist until you are down there. It’s a strange experience."

The former gardener hopes if his project gains further interest, more people will come forward with information.

He said: "I'm expecting there are similar structures under nearby shops, so that I can possibly try and map out where the original priory was.

"If I could investigate other places, who knows what we might discover. There may be evidence of bodies that were stored centuries ago...who knows?"