Does anyone know what this might be?

[The Velvet Elephant]

Digging in the back garden of our home, built in 1836, we found this. It is made of patterned cement and has a brick edging. The cement top measures about 50cm x 90cm. Does anyone know what it might have been? Or what it might have been used for? We have lifted the top cement piece, there is nothing but dirt underneath.

[Penguin68]

It may already have been repurposed as e.g.hard standing for something kept in the garden. It would make a good stand for a barbecue or possibly one of those aluminium dustbin burners.

[KidKruger]

It looks like the remaining section of (what was once) a path, scored/keyed to help prevent users slipping.

[EDmummy]

Could it be possible that your garden housed a horse and cart? Our garden did (we once had a very large side-return). We still have a section of garden with cobbles. In our single street we know there were at least 3/4 houses which had horses - ours was for the coachman for the doctor who lived next door around 1850s, another was a dairy.

[keano77]

I suspect it was the base for a Victorian tiled pathway. The lines show the outline of the tiling. Not many such pathways left unfortunately. Some nice ones on Eynella Rd by the library as you walk down to the park

[KidKruger]

If there had previously been tiles on the path they wouldn't have left a depression around their outline in the concrete like in the photo, and there would have been no use to scoring the concrete like that prior to tiling it.

The scoring was to help avoid slips when wet.

[keano77]

Yes, good point KK. If it had been tiled and grouted then the lines would be raised. Obviously an attempt to be decorative. I wonder though if it would have worked as a non-slip measure rather than leaving it as a rougher, tamped finish.

[KidKruger]

Back in the day winters were harsher, surer and longer than nowadays. Any keying on a path like that would have helped stop slipping and to break-up any surface ice which formed. The concrete could have been finished rougher but may have had a less appealing appearance.

[Rockets]

Could it have been a makeshift entrance to an Andersen shelter? Our garden has a section of grass where the soil is a lot shallower because during the war someone had put down a concrete/hardcore base for their shelter.

[Penguin68]

The 'slab' - which looks complete, is about 2ft by 3ft - if the actual measurements are in cms than it's likely to be well post war - but if it is 2 x 3ft it's really quite small (even with a brick surround). I can't imagine the markings are anti-slip - if only because it can't be more than 2 paces long and probably less. It may well have been recovered from some other use and then re-used in the garden. It could be the base for a burner of some sort, for instance for use in a greenhouse. The cross hatchings could be decorative, or could be to wick away moisture, so whatever was standing on it didn't get waterlogged.

[natty01295]

A slab access to a sewer pipe Access Maybe ??

[Fitzgeraldo]

Perhaps impression made by large lady wearing fishnet tights sitting on unset cement. Romantic activity with builder may have contributed.

[Benayliffe]

2020 IS NOT THE YEAR TO BE DIGGING UP THESE KINDS OF MYSTERIOUS OBJECTS!