My Hole in the Ground

I don't think it's a cess pit, far too small, looks more like an old drain, the type fitted with an inspection cover,
it's obviously disused now so you could demolish the brick liner fill it in and forget it.

Pete

 

Thanks everyone for your helpful suggestions. I followed up with the local planners who couldn't help - apparently no record of the development (!!!).

I'm not sure how an old OS map would help at the scale at which they are available.

My inclination now is to do what Pete02 suggested - remove the upper brickwork so that I get a good depth of soil, fill in to the top of the concrete with some of the rubble, compact it as thoroughly as possible (I don't want it collapsing again and swallowing up whatever I've planted, or me!) then top up with top soil. I'll mull it over until next week but that's what I'm likely to do. In the mean time, if anyone has any further thoughts I'm only too willing to listen

Thanks again.

 

Now filled in - out of sight out of mind - I hope!
Thanks again for your thoughts.

 

Glad to hear that you are not down a 300 ft hole with water dripping on your head, sobbing in the darkness & nursing your shattered bones. :D

Gonna put some flowers on it now ?

 

Nope ... raspberries, blackcurrants and goosberries. Hopefully I won't end up harvesting them 300 feet down. :D

 

Lol, heard of gardening for height, not for depth.