[Eastling]

Hi just been clearing around the old pig sty and uncovered a brick lined hole containing water and mud. Not sure what it is or what it could have been used for. Can anyone shed any light please before we fill it in.

[john and helen]

how deep and how wide ?

[cans]

any chance of a picture?? 

[Eastling]

1.5 m x 1.5 m  not sure of depth as a very deep layer of mud and sludge, Will try to get a photo up loaded can't seem to do it via my phone.

[shygirl]

how strange. we found a really deep hole on our land this week too, except I think ours is from where there has been a midden and trees planted over the top. ours was lined with metal and could have taken a small child but I think it is accidental, 

would yours be an old septic tank? or a well?

[Eastling]

Don't think it is a septic tank as a way from the house and seems small for a septic tank. We have a septic on the driveway near the front of the house. This is next to three old pig sties attached to two stables. Our property used to be part of a large farm. This also has a lead pipe across the middle and cemented into the walls of it. We've got a digger on hire at the moment so will see what we can do. Just would like to find out what it is out of interest as I think OH quite keen to fill it and cap with concrete.

[Eastling]

Pics

[Lesley Silvester]

No idea but it's very interesting.

[Herdygirl]

your local university history department will be able to tell you, most have a historical buildings expert

[Fleecewife]

Apart from being rectangular not triangular, it looks like the settling part of our pig slurry drainage system on the farm where I grew up.  Ours had a metal grid over the top to stop folk falling in.  It worked by collecting the slurry as it ran down surface drains at the end of each pig pen; the slurry then stood in this tank for a while, then the water part drained on into the pond.  The Environmental Protection Agency would have an apoplectic fit to see that set up now.  The pond was turned into a horrible slurry pit with a hard crust on top, just thick enough to make you think it would take your weight until you got to about the middle of the pond.  Fortunately for me, it was my brother who demonstrated that it wouldn't support a ten yo 
Eventually my dad rescued the pond and reinstated it as a haven for wildlife.
Yours could well be working like a small septic tank with the water part draining out into a gravel filled bit below.  It should have turned into good well rotted FYM by now, ideal to put on the veggies (or it could stink when you dig it out)

[Lesley Silvester]

The pond was turned into a horrible slurry pit with a hard crust on top, just thick enough to make you think it would take your weight until you got to about the middle of the pond.  Fortunately for me, it was my brother who demonstrated that it wouldn't support a ten yo 

 

[goosepimple]

Well, funny that fleece - OH just dug up something similar yesterday when he was tree planting at what used to be the cartshed joined onto what used to be the pigsty and we wondered what it drained - you've possibly just answered our question    thanks

[Eastling]

Thanks for the replies. OH is still keen to just fill it. No pond of slurry pit on our land so .. Good to know there is some use for brothers!

[Tala Orchard]

Looking at it reminds me of the hole we used to drain all rhe pig muck into it was about 6ft deep about the same size.  My Nan used to tske the water out in a bucket and use it to feed her kitchen garden, she used to grow great veg. All the straw and sh== rotted down in the water and must have been good fertilizer.

Tala

[stufe35]

 Looks like part of a drainage system to me, that has blocked and then filled the chamber.  You need to empty it and check this before just filling it in.   Have you poked a stick in to see how deep it is ?