- Joined
- 12 Aug 2007
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Hi,
I've recently bought an old pub (c1750) that was converted to a house in the 70s. I've got hold of some plans for the house which show the (rough) position of the internal cellar entrance when it was still a pub, and I was verbally told by the previous owners where the think the external entrance was (there is nothing on the plans other than saying there is an external entrance).
Based on that info I've been drilling some exploratory holes to see what I could find. Externally I drilled through 30cm of cement before reaching what appears to be clay. Internally I drilled a number of holes near the documented entrance and managed to at least smell and feel the air from the cellar even if I see it. I've also put a boroscope down the internal hole but unfortunately it was blocked by a mix of stones and brick.
Has anybody on here got any experience of opening up a cellar? There seems to be a real lack of info on the web about doing this. I was hoping to drill a bit and then uncover an obvious entrance but that hasn't been the case so far. I could continue drilling deeper internally (and making the hole wider), however I'm not sure whether have found the original entrance of whether I am just drilling through the cellar ceiling...
Any advice would be appreciated as the builders I have spoke to don't seem to want to know until I find the entrance...
I don't believe the cellar was blocked for structural reasons. The plans I have suggest it was done based on the layout of the house.
I've recently bought an old pub (c1750) that was converted to a house in the 70s. I've got hold of some plans for the house which show the (rough) position of the internal cellar entrance when it was still a pub, and I was verbally told by the previous owners where the think the external entrance was (there is nothing on the plans other than saying there is an external entrance).
Based on that info I've been drilling some exploratory holes to see what I could find. Externally I drilled through 30cm of cement before reaching what appears to be clay. Internally I drilled a number of holes near the documented entrance and managed to at least smell and feel the air from the cellar even if I see it. I've also put a boroscope down the internal hole but unfortunately it was blocked by a mix of stones and brick.
Has anybody on here got any experience of opening up a cellar? There seems to be a real lack of info on the web about doing this. I was hoping to drill a bit and then uncover an obvious entrance but that hasn't been the case so far. I could continue drilling deeper internally (and making the hole wider), however I'm not sure whether have found the original entrance of whether I am just drilling through the cellar ceiling...
Any advice would be appreciated as the builders I have spoke to don't seem to want to know until I find the entrance...
I don't believe the cellar was blocked for structural reasons. The plans I have suggest it was done based on the layout of the house.