What's this mysterious black box by the door?

Cuilean

My sister has just bought a relatively new (Five years old) house in the Midlands. Next to the front door, slightly below where you'd normally find a doorbell, is a thick, black circle, about three inches in height, which protrudes from the wall about an inch in depth, and is shaped so it looks a bit like one of those grips you'd get on a climbing wall at a leisure centre. It's screwed in at the top and bottom. Every house in her estate seems to have one, but we have no idea what it is. It's not the doorbell, because every house has their own, and that's a white push button box. There's nowhere to push or pull on it, as if it might be a key safe. It doesn't seem to serve a purpose, but she's too worried to remove it in case it's doing an important job she's not realised. None of my family have ever lived in a new build home before, so we've never come across anything like it.

I've tried to get some pictures from other houses on the estate on Rightmove, but they're not very clear, so I apologise in advance. Can anyone shed any light on this?

jk0

It's a catflap for a very small agile cat.

Couldn't be a milk hatch I suppose? Best thing is to ask the neighbours. Someone must know, surely?

DD137

Its a touch pad for the water meter! Saves them having to knock on the door and come in the house

Owain_Moneysaver

Some form of transponder for remote reading the meters?

In both cases they're above the telephone line intake, which might be significant.

Cuilean

That's it, thank you! It looks like it is indeed one of the touch pad things for the water company. None of the family are on metered water, hence our not knowing. Many thanks, everyone.

jk0, if a small cat got in there, my nieces would be thrilled. The cat would be looking for the nearest exit :rotfl:

DaftyDuck

I'd be more worried by that white arrow with red edging... Looks mean!

cyclonebri1

DaftyDuck wrote: »

I'd be more worried by that white arrow with red edging... Looks mean!

Maybe the meter man has a white stick in that area.