Hundreds of shoes believed to date back to the 19th century have been mysteriously discovered on beaches in south Wales.
The black leather footwear was found at rockpools on several beaches in the Vale of Glamorgan.
Volunteers at The Beach Academy, a social enterprise focusing on environmental education, found the shoes, which they believe were intended to be worn by adult males and children.
The group said: "Can anyone help us shed light on the hundreds of leather shoes we are finding at Ogmore and Llantwit beaches?
"They resemble shoes from times past rather than modern styles, mainly adult males and children.
"We are slowly excavating them from rockpool zones where they have been embedded into sediment or trapped in rocks as part of our rockpool restoration project.
"We have no idea how long they have actually been trapped there! Many stories I’m sure.
"200 removed in Ogmore alone this week."
Volunteers discovered 200 shoes at one beach in just a week
|BEACH ACADEMY/FACEBOOK
The discovery has sparked speculation among locals, with questions rising over how such a large collection of historical footwear came to be on the Welsh coastline.
One theory points to the shipwreck of an Italian cargo boat, which is said to have struck the nearby Tusker Rock about 150 years ago.
Lara Maiklem, an author and River Thames mudlark, told the BBC the shoes were "definitely Victorian".
She added that they were likely to have ended up on the beaches as a result of a shipwreck due to the large quantity found.
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One theory behind the discovery points to the alleged shipwreck of an Italian cargo boat around 150 years ago
|BEACH ACADEMY/FACEBOOK
Since The Beach Academy brought the discovery to light, several residents have come forward with similar accounts.
One person wrote on social media: "I have a collection too, beautiful things, all different sizes.
"From a ship wreck of a boat from Italy, I believe. Mine are more battered, so must have been rolling around in the sea longer."
"We often find parts of old leather shoes down that way," another commented.
"The soles are always very small like a child's shoe."
A third person said they had "found loads" at beaches between the villages of Newton and Ogmore.
A fourth social media user added: "I have found loads of them.
"Years ago, a section of the River Ogmore bank near Portobello House fell away revealing hundreds of old shoes, then they get washed out to sea and we find them."
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