Thanks for the advice. I'm pretty sure the cellar was a pantry, there
is no sign of coal dust. Piecing together bits of local history, I
would guess that the cellar dates from the late C17. I doubt I will be
hanging a pig from the hooks on the ceiling any time soon, but a wine
cellar sounds a splendid idea.

I definitely will not be tanking the cellar. I'm trying to ensure the
house stays damp-free by allowing it to breathe. The staircase is
still there and it's made of stone.

T.
You are "lucky" it is not listed :

from:

http://www.heritage.co.uk/apavilions/glstb.html

"The older a building is, the more likely it is to be listed. All
buildings built before 1700 which survive in anything like their
original condition are listed, as are most built between 1700 and
1840. After that date, the criteria become tighter with time, so that
post-1945 buildings have to be exceptionally important to be listed."
Robert