What's this weird pipe/vent thing in the front garden?

[NightmareLoon]

Attached a picture of it. It broke because someone drove over it - it used to have a hood over the pipe. The pipe was filled with leaves/debris and spiderwebs when we were finally able to see into it!

It's next to the shared drive, so in line with the house. House was built in 1935.

I've come up with various theories, such as sewer vent (but there's no smells which come out) or something to equalise water pressure which I read about.

Help? We eventually want to pave over half the front garden so we can get an electric/plug-in car but this thing is in the way!

I think it's a soakaway - especially if the gravel slopes slightly towards it. It's designed to take surface water away and disperse it into the ground.

Hmm. I don't think it could be that - I've attached another picture with the "lid" back on it. There clearly was a panel which screwed on there at one point too.

Also, I have no idea what the bits of broken pipe are around it.

Mouse periscope?

Mouse periscope?

Too big. Clearly a hedgehog slide chute

Inter-dimensional portal for woodlice?

Could it be your outside stop valve, i.e. the thing that controls the water supply to your house? I have a house of a similar age, and ours looks like that: the bit you turn to control the water is quite far down the pipe, and needs a long key thing to access it.

There's loads of these on our road and they are more periscope like - but more for rats than mice.

PhantomPhaeton

Hmm! I will investigate that in a bit...

For an idea of scale, the "lid" bit is probably six or so inches across.

Ours turns our neighbour's water off as well NightmareLoon (which is how I first met/apologised to our new NDN a few days after moving in), so proceed with caution...

Just how deep is your stopcock Phantom? About a foot down the pip is stoppered up with gravel/shingle that's fallen in, plus a bit of that clay pipe. Perhaps the clay pipe sat inside the metal thingy? I'll ask DH if he remembers when he gets home.

I've taken as best a flash photo down the pipe as I can and included an egg box for scale.

I had my arm down the pipe to just past my elbow when I was trying to turn the tap with my hand. There was a forearm's-worth of crap (leaves, rocks etc) in the pipe, and even with the key it needed a lot of oiling before the tap would turn. I don't think it had been used for decades.

Hmm. I don't think anyone's elbow except maybe my sever year old's could fit down that hole!

Next theory anyone?

Ah, that looks much too small for an arm – but then I suppose you're not meant to use your hands anyway. The keys, should you end up needing one, seem much the same (according to what B&Q had on the shelves anyway).

Ooo we had one of those and when we did our front garden as parking it was removed. I always thought it was drain ventilation. 1930s house here, too.

PS drains haven't exploded without it and mice were getting far too clever with access to a periscope.

Mouse periscope!!!

Dh works for a water company, I'll ask him when he gets home.

Years of googling and I finally found a picture of a similar one! This thread says it's a vent (or stench) pipe: www.harringayonline.com/forum/topics/strange-pipe-with-hat-in-front

Isn't that what the big vent up the side of the house is for though?

Thanks Oblimov!

Found something else which says it might be a fresh air intake for an interceptor trap which is the equalising pressure thing I meant in my OP.

yes, it's a ventilator for the foul drain. There is a special name which I've forgotten. They are no longer used, and one ones are mostly broken off or filled up by now.

Measure yours, it is probably about four-inch diameter, and cast-iron or brown salt-glazed clay pipe. You could buy a plastic stop end that fits like a cork and will prevent small animals or children's feet falling down it.

Like these ones?

www.draindomain.com/interceptor%20traps.html

Yes! My own circular musing took me around the the same idea, will be calling my plumber to have it dealt with. :D

Loads of houses here have them, they are basically an access and ventilation point for the trap at the boundary.
You don't need the trap as it's just a place for blockages to form, but digging it up and replacing it would cost more than repairing the vent or simply putting in a modern ridding point.
You don't want to leave it open as then it literally turns into a rat access point.

Ps our drains have a similar trap but it's in a manhole on next doors drive and serves a few properties, so Thames water deal with it when it blocks.