Phil L wrote:

If you contact building control[1] at your local council they may be able to
tell you on what foundations your house is built....from what I can glean
from your posts it sounds like infill, thousands of tonnes of clay over the
top of what was there before, if this is the case, it's highly likely your
house is built on piles (concrete stilts which go down very deep, usually
until bedrock is found)

Hi Phil,

Without any official enquiries, here's what I can tell you:

I was in the garden one day, when suddenly I noticed (actually heard)
something moving next to the house. Upon closer inspection it turned out
that the granite chips, that form a 'moat' round our house, were being
'sucked' under the foundation. I got a trowel and started digging the
area, only to discover that there was a void area that seemed to run the
entire width of the foundation, and seems to be repeated at intervals
along the the entire length of the foundation.

I can only assume that these are the concrete stilts you refer to, and
if so, then I am greatly relieved. Given the bog that the foundation is
sitting on, it doesn't surprise me that they used this method, since it
is surely the only way of suspending a building over it.

It would also explain why my tarmac driveway is full of cracks.

I'll make the official enquiry anyway, but thanks for setting my mind at
ease somewhat.

Regards,

-
[H]omer