Strange hole!

[herbialfa]

I live in a Semi Detached Bungalow built in the early 60's

Our front garden projects about 4 metres to the path.

About 1.5 metres from the front our bungalow a 300x300x600mm deep hole has appeared just inside our boundary. Its definately not animal related as there are no claws marks etc.

I filled it in about 2 years ago and all was well. It appeared again about 2 weeks ago.

I've filled that back again but it has appeared again!

I prodded it last night and although the soil was soft under the hole, about another 2ft down I hit a good bearing. I tried along the length of the boundary and it just seems to be localised to that area.

So.........

Would builders build soakaways in the 60's that close to the property and the roadside?

Is it possible that it is an old tree stump/root that has finally decayed?

Or any other ideas????

FYI on the boundary that is where the shared RWP is located!

Thanks in advance for any responses!!!!

[RonJohnson]

Pipe bedding or similar slowly washing out and leaving a void?

[herbialfa]

Thanks for the prompt response!

The actual hole is about 3ft away from where the pipe is, so that sort of makes sense. However the hole seems to be falling away from the boundary under our lawn!!!!

[Busamav]

could be a ventilation shaft to a collapsing , uncharted mine that runs under your house .

[thetapeworm]

Do you have a lightbulb and a stick? Are there any boulders to move?

Keep us posted...

[The Black Flash]

Entrance to a secret ww2 bunker?

[eps]

How big is/was the hole? Any photos?

[herbialfa]

The surrounding area circa 1000 bungalows were built on an old woodland. Hence my root decay query!

I'll get some pics this afternoon!

[Munter]

Quick phone channel4 and see if they can get you on "Help! My House Is Falling Down".

Then at a push you can stare down Sarah Beeny's mysterious hole.

[herbialfa]

Which must be huge as she ia always feckin preggers!!!!

Anyway....

Edited by herbialfa on Wednesday 18th August 15:08

[herbialfa]

OK the offending hole! Which has partially caved in due to some rain overnight!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/herbi/100_2...

Looking back towards the Bungalow

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/herbi/100_2...

As you can see no evidence of animals!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/herbi/100_2...

Looking towards the path!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/herbi/100_2...

[badboyburt]

Hope you get it sorted,

[eps]

With the movement lines around photo #3 I'd start digging.... It looks a little suspicious.. As you say, not due to animals, so something else..

[herbialfa]

Just uploading the photos and getting my breathe back!

[freecar]

Dig it up. There could be an open end of some brown water pipe slowly washing soil into it and causing hats above to drop.

If after digging down to say three feet there is nothing, lay a paving slab in the bottom and refill. I'd expect it to stop after that!

[herbialfa]

Om so after some digging I found this!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v295/herbi/100_2...

I can put my shovel through beneath by a few feet so...........

I called the neighbour over and there is soakaways in everybodies front gardens. Pah!

Looks like I'm gonna have to dif through to the soakaway which is nearer the road to find the leakage/ problem!

All things well it should be dry & sunny in Norwich tomorrow and I can stick the garden hose down the RWP to estebalish if the water is running forward or backward if you know what I mean! The pipe in the pic is clay and I couldn't see any damage to it at that point and felt with a tap of the spade fairly sound!

Thanks for all your advice!

Edited by herbialfa on Thursday 19th August 08:22