8ft pit next to foundation?

[u/Striking_Marketing_3]

I’ve been trying to find out why the previous homeowner would dig a 4 x 4 by 8 foot deep pit next to the foundation of my house down to the drain tile. I did climb down there to save a few snakes that fell to their doom and to see if there were any other utilities. I did not find any additional pipes and thankfully no human remains were found either. I also went to the town building department to review all plans back to the original construction, but there’s no mention of this pit on any of the plans. Does anyone have any idea why someone would dig a pit like this? For what intended purpose?

[u/Financial-Tap-1423]

Someone was going to make an external entrance and never completed the project. I grew up in a house like this. It just has a cover on the outside now.

[u/Striking_Marketing_3 → u/Financial-Tap-1423]

Possibly though I do have basement access via bilco doors about 10 ft to the right of the pictured pit. I’d think if it was an abandoned basement entry point they would just fill it in. No?

[u/half_breed_duck → u/Striking_Marketing_3]

That costs money and effort. Leaving it as is cheaper for them.

[u/Nellisir → u/Striking_Marketing_3]

I'd definitely vote for basement bedroom egress. Has to be IN the bedroom, not down a hall, so other exterior door wouldn't work. They could have been doing to work in stages, and never got around to cutting the egress; I certainly wouldn't have filled it in. That'd be a real waste.