To ask what this massive hole under our garden is?

[Greatbighole]

Husband just lifted up a slate in the garden and uncovered a concrete chamber which goes under our property and next door. It’s 6.5 feet deep. House was built in 1910, we moved in a few months ago. Didn’t come up in the survey or searches.
Any ideas?
Next door must know as they have built an extension over it but we don’t know them and don’t want to go knocking to ask right now, but obviously we will when we see them!
My husband accidentally dropped the slate into the hole which is what you can see in the bottom.

@GuckGuckDoose

Yes I’d say that is almost certainly a coal cellar - there may well have been some kind of chute with doors built over the opening at one stage.

How would you get the coal out?

It’s got one of these.
Will be disappointed if it’s a cess pit

Why have they built their extension over your property Greatbighole?

@sunshinesupermum

Why have they built their extension over your property Greatbighole?

They haven’t. The hole is half under our garden and half under theirs, which now has their kitchen on it. It’s a pair of semis which share an underground hole. Would a coal hole be shared? I guess an air raid shelter would

With that pipe and no way down into it, I'd say cesspit.

She Shed?!

Knock on their door right away and ask!

I think with the pipe and no way into it, it was surely a cess pit?

Cess pit

@QuizzlyBear

She Shed?!

Had to google that 🙈 I find it quite scary to be honest! We’ve got small kids and don’t want them to fall down a massive hole!

Am I alone in feeling envy about the prospect of having a huge underground extension?

Air raid shelters would flood, so that might be a drain for it. Pretty much everyone had to have a shelter of some description. I have one down the far end of my garden (1939s house long garden) they even built lovely concrete paths to it we are still using.

A drain out wouldn't be in the ceiling though.

I vote for shelter!

underground water tank used for watering plants etc the pipe at the top is the overflow? (normally more a victorian thing) Or a cesspit/septic tank

@Giggorata

Am I alone in feeling envy about the prospect of having a huge underground extension?

Nope. I was about to post that I had no idea what it was but I'd like one!

Not so sure now if it is a cess pit...

The only issue with an underground extension is that half of it is under the neighbour's house 😂

Water tank?

Oooh, how exciting! I think it is an old disused cesspit @Greatbighole but so what, it's not one now! Don't know what you could use it for. Storage probably!

Was next doors part of your property at any time from the 50’s onwards?

I’m thinking drive over it and work on your car?

Also thinking cesspit. I lived in a house with a shared one which had a slate roof just like yours, I'm guessing they cut the slate down when they built the extension.

My vote is for cesspit... but I would turn it into an underground den if possible!

I want it to be an air raid shelter but pipe says cesspit.

Murder room

Air raid shelter, and they fed a water pipe in so they had a supply in case they were in there for days?

It might have had an access hatch and wooden steps that were later removed.

Maybe a home made nuclear bunker from the years when people were terrified of nuclear attack?