Sump pit or well? - What it is and do i need to move it?

[JamieN]

Hi,
I live on a detached property where the land slops with the road outside the front of the house being the highest point, gentle slope then to the rear of the back garden. That's the setting!

I am planning on building an extension onto the back of the house, but have been aware for a long time about a 'well' which is just outside the current single story extension to the rear. Apparently all the houses in my street (on my side of the street) have a well.

When lifting the drain cover off to look into the well I was surprised by its size, 1.7m in diameter and 2.5m deep, and pretty full of water, approx 2m. So I was thinking, is this really a well, or is it some sort of soakaway due to the slope of the land? And if I do extend, which would be beyond the 'well' should I leave it where it is and make a feature of it inside the new kitchen, or fill it in and move it further down the garden?

The 'well' is brick lined, and obviously serves some sort of purpose, I'm starting to thing drainage as a soakaway for surface water away from the foundations of the house......

[seanandruby]

How old is the house? Doubt it is a soakaway as bricks would be laid honeycombed and they used to be just rubble but could be wrong. might be a well. Id there pipes going in as could be a catch pit to. Any photos?

[Edgar]

If every house has one I wonder if they are cess pools from pre main drainage times.

Edgar

[JamieN]

Hi, the house is 1950's. The bricks are laid neatly, as you would see in a well. It's not full of rubble or anything. There are no pipes going into it either. Just a 1.7m x 2.5m deep brick lined hole with about 2m of water in it!

[lutonlagerlout]

jamie its sounds like a dumb well
these were used in land with poor drainage to collect rainwater which was then pumped back to the scullery for use in washing and flushing loos etc
or it could be a brick lined soakaway
almost certainly there is an inlet from a pipe somewhere
a photo would help
LLL