Opening in Brick Foundation Near the Footing

[tzarqt]

I was looking for the entry point point of the mains water pipe and was excavating on the exterior of the front brick wall by digging right beside the foundation, and 8 courses of brick below ground level I reached the footing of the foundation. I noticed that in one place on the first course of bricks above the footing, there was a missing brick creating an opening through the foundation. It seemed very deliberate. Any ideas what it could have been for? See the attached pic.

 

[JohnD]

Pipe or cable? Unless the foundations flooded and it was to let water out.

Where is the DPC?

You could clean it up and mortar it shut to keep rats out.

 

[tzarqt]

The DPC is a few courses of brick further up than the last visible course in the picture.

What you see in the picture is only the excavated part below ground level. This opening has dirt on the inside, i.e. there is no cavity or pipe or cable left in there. It was also fully covered in dirt on the outside before I excavated.

I patched it up with some old brick and mortar and then I filled back the area to the original ground level.

I just wonder whether this opening could have been deliberate, but I cannot see what purpose it could play currently? Could it be related to hydrostatic pressure or something? But I don't see how.