Need help identifying an archway please.

[jackpoint]

It was nice and sunny today so thought I would have a potter around outside before work.
At the back of our shed is this little part brick/timber/corrugated iron structure that we call the 'Pig Pen' and it's a bit of a general dumping ground so I started chucking rubbish away and having a tidy.

(hope you like the gutter down pipe :lol: )
Now roughly where those slates are stacked next to the old bit of ply is a step down, roughly 18 inches deep, and it has old bricks and rubble which I started to move. Moved about two bricks and thought ??? what's going on here.
Pulled about four out and uncovered an archway :shock:

It's about two or three feet at widest points and there's a flipping big caverny thing under the pig pen - I only had a crappy torch kicking about which wouldn't light it to see anything and tried poking a rake in and it wouldn't reach the other side :shock: :shock:
Here's a photo of the step down area - there's some clay pipe at the 'shed end'. Arch blocked by pipe to stop cat investigating.

The floor in the pig pen above the cavern is solid concrete.

Anyone got a clue?

 

[LadyArowana]

As you may know my usual answer to any question on mystery objects is to suggest it is something to do with cheese making. However I don't think so this time, I wonder of it is related to water supply. We have a slightly similar thing at the basement level of our house and so I would be very interested in anyone having an explanation based on some actual knowledge :lol:

 

[jackpoint]

Could be water but (no pun intended)there is already a well near the house.
Just had bomb shelter suggested by a friend and wife is thinking she needs it cleared out for a wine cellar

 

[Zebra]

How intriguing jackpoint. How far down do you think it goes? Is the flipping big caverny thing actually under the pigpen? Just to understand, did you take the second picture from stood by that little tree?? Ooh, do investigate. Send the cat down there with a head-camera.

 

[jackpoint]

Yup, second picture from near the tree. If the weather isn't too ghastly tomorrow I will try to pop a lead light down there.
It seems ( and this was only a brief poke with rake) that the chamber is about the width of the corrugated iron 'wall'.

 

[Keithj]

What you need is a seriously bright torch. I've done wonders of exploration with one of these.

It's shown me into the far corners of the church roof and into some very tight attics. It's pretty good for walking to the pub on a dark night, too.

In this case, you could shine it into the gap, maybe zoom it in to get a close look at the corners...

 

[JoceAndChris]

They loved brick arches for all sorts of structures - to us it seems incredibly fancy but to the average builder in 1830 the arch seems to have been standard. I see them all over, sewers, our underground rainwater chamber, our kitchen waste pit, even some fancy shelving in the kitchen- which was some kind of storage area that our previous owner out a bench on.

Sorry that isn't really very specific or helpful! Nice thing to find though!

 

[MatthewC]

Send the cat down there with a head-camera.

Or stick your hand in the hole with a decent camera with flash and snap away - a technique that is fun as well as useful!

 

[Flyfisher]

Send the cat down there with a head-camera.

Or stick your hand in the hole with a decent camera with flash and snap away - a technique that is fun as well as useful!

Probably safe enough in the UK but I wouldn't fancy trying it in Australia. :shock:

 

[Lime]

Send the cat down there with a head-camera.

Or stick your hand in the hole with a decent camera with flash and snap away - a technique that is fun as well as useful!

Probably safe enough in the UK but I wouldn't fancy trying it in Australia. :shock:

You think it may be that deep?

 

[jackpoint]

Send the cat down there with a head-camera.

Or stick your hand in the hole with a decent camera with flash and snap away - a technique that is fun as well as useful!

I think the cat would have been better!

Would have tried again but it started raining...Imagine my surprise :roll:

 

[Flyfisher]

Goodness! If that's a flash photo that wasn't able to illuminate anything except that bit of twig/web then it must be a pretty big hole.
I assumed Lime was joking but who knows :shock: :lol: :wink:

 

[Keithj]

Do I see a little man with horns and a trident in the corner of that?

 

[Zebra]

Jackpoint, what happened with your mysterious cavern? I see you've been on the forum recently, so you can't still be stuck down there, trying in vain to get the cat to raise the alarm.
So what is it? Pictures please!

 

[Nimster]

He's probably still mapping the caverns, powered by candlelight

 

[jackpoint]

:lol: Just haven't had the time to look would you believe, hadn't forgotten, honest guv. Will pop a photo up on my progress thread in a mo and you will see why...

Caverns, that would be fun!

 

[jackpoint]

Finally found a torch and five minutes to use it....


Any more ideas?

 

[JoceAndChris]

Looks identical to our rainwater chamber that's being worked on right now!

 

[davidbrac]

What is that circle on the back wall? if its a pipe then it could be an old septic tank. Is it far enough underground for that? No forget that you would not have steps into a septic tank.

Does the roof look like it was built the same time as the walls or are they an add on? and how deep under the ground is this?

My second stab in the dark is that it could have been an ice house

 

[Feltwell]

Are you in a hard water area?

Rainwater was prized for washing clothes in as it is always soft water and it's easier to get a lather with the soap. A small underground rainwater tank is not uncommon in these parts, even if a house also had it's own well/borehole.