Filling in a cellar?

[Goodwordguide]

We've been recommended that we have the cellar on our (potential) new house filled in as it's so damp - often has standing water, woodworm etc. the house is large so cellar not really needed for storage plus it has a very restricted height so would never be used for anything else.

Does anybody know in particular if this is recommended in old houses (200 years+)? And what material do they use? I had just assumed that all old houses had damp cellars. It's well ventilated at least.

Many thanks for any help

it's not the first thing I would look at, especially if it is not very deep. I would start by looking for gutter or downpipe leakage, water running towards the house from paving and broken gullies, and leak from pipes or drains.

If the groundwater round the house couldn't be lowered even by putting a french drain round it, and improving subfloor ventilation couldn't keep it dry, I might reluctantly patch up any cracks or defects in the subfloor walls, line with thick poly, and barrow in shingle. You would have to take up all the downstairs floors so it would be quite a lot of work.

Thanks piglet - I hace a hunch it is linked to the guttering, which we will get fixed - will see what happens after that.

Cheers