First Survey and Discovery

Strategy

Today 4 of us set out for our first survey attempt on Park Moor in the southern region of Lyme, a National Trust property on the edge of the Peak District in the UK.

These moors were drained about 200 years ago and with climate change and other influences, these drains are now too efficient at water removal contributing to moorland fires, loss of habitat and flooding. The aim of this exercise in dowsing (divining) is to understand the drainage system

Lacking any historical maps to help us know where drains would be, the first thing we had to do was to decide an approach.

Several large gullies cut through the moor and one possibility was that any land drains would drain into them in a fish-bone pattern.  Taking this as a possible model, we would spread out to walk in a line parallel to a gully in the hope that we would come across side drains.

First Moor Survey

Results and Confusion

We began walking parallel to the gully and almost immediately began to experience rod crossings. The promising thing was that all of us were experiencing crossings in line with one another suggesting the line of a drain; However, a worrying aspect was the scale and randomness of what we seemed to be exposing.

At first, we tried to mark out possible lines of interest with road pins but rapidly ran out as we experienced more and more crossings. Everywhere we went we were running into more rod crossings and then, to confuse things further, I encountered a rod crossing suggesting another line parallel to the gully and intercepting the lines coming off the gully.

In torrential rain, we discussed turning back to rethink but decided to continue up the gully toward a rise to see if the frequency continued.

A Pattern Emerges

The four of us progressed across the Moor, all experiencing a regular repeating pattern, Steve was the first to point out that we were getting crosses every 5 metres or so. Once this had been suggested it became clear that lines were indeed coming down to the gully at regular 5 yard intervals.

Attempting to find an end to one line I followed a detection line away from the gully passing through several several soft rush patches; at the summit the detection line finally halted in that direction but another direction took over dropping down into the next catchment valley toward Knightslow Wood gate.

When it was clear that we did indeed have a regular repeating pattern we crossed the gully to return the other side. Again walking in a row we found the same repeating pattern of drains perpendicular to the gully regularly spaced at 5 yards.

Experimenting with other directions we again found that there were intersecting drains running parallel to the gully and after a little experimentation concluded that these were a 10m separation.

It appears that the Moor either side of this gully has a regular grid pattern of land drains.

Excavation and Doubt

Having learned what we could from walking with our rods, we decided on a spot to excavate and see if we could expose a drain. Prodding with a road pin suggested there may have been something but digging down a little way we only hit random stones and there was no obvious previous ground disturbance. It is 200 years since the drains were laid and none of us know how long traces would remain.

After more prodding we parked this excavation and moved down to the bottom of the gully where we believed any side drains would reach the surface but prodding in soft ground where we had best indications revealed nothing.

Soaking wet and now getting cold, the high of getting detections early on was fading and we were somewhat disheartened at this point.

Discovery and Confirmation

It was odd that there was no surface water in the bottom of the gully and investigation with the dowsing rods suggested that there was a buried drain running down the middle of it. This was contrary to our expectations which were that water would emerge into the gully bottom and drain away on the surface.

We decided on one more investigation toward the opening of the gully where we thought any drain must be coming up toward surface level.

Prodding with a pin in a location the rods suggested, an area of hard material was felt not far below the surface and after a brief excavation an area of flat stone was revealed. Extending the excavation, another flat stone was butted to the first as if something was covered. Removing another stone inserted into a gap the sound of flowing water emerged.

We had discovered a stone culvert carrying a significant volume of water from the Moor exactly on line of the dowsing rod indication.

excavation location - left of centre

We decided not to excavate further to examine the structure of the culvert but postpone that to a better weather day. Peering through the gap the sides of the culvert appear to be dry stone wall built and very substantial.

Area Covered and Culvert Location

I was carrying a GPS and the image below shows the track I personally followed. The successful excavation is labelled Culvert No1.    View Culvert No1 on Google Maps

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