I think hiring the pipe finder is going to be easiest. Seeing as you don't know even roughly where it is you'll end up peering the stone drain with holes by driving a bar in the ground.

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I use two metal rods 3/16 - 1/4 inch dia 6mm by 750mm long with a 150mm right angle bend handle.
You put both arms out full length in front of you about 225mm apart. Put the handle into a clenched fist but allow the rods to freely rotate. Hold the rods out horizontal 225 mm apart and walk over where you think the pipe is. When you get over the pipe the rods will freely cross over. I do it both ways to check where the pipe is. I have done building sites this way to find land drains and also under roads to find drains without problems. Once you have the drain line you can probe for the cover. Check for lateral drains coming in to see if the IC and cover is over it.
I showed on chap how to do it and he could differentiate between the services although I cant.
I have done it with wall ties and the 73mm paper clips.
Easier with the battery version, but not as cheap.
Stand back for the flack.

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No good if it's howling though!

Here we go again 😉

Grahami

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Perhaps obvious but do you know where any of the neighbours manholes are? You might be able to deduce the likely position by the position of other manholes in the run and the position of the soil stack (assuming iits a foul drain) on/in your house.

Re Dowsing. Would you recommend M&S hangers or would Primark ones do?

Stuey, where is the site? I have access to SWW maps (For all the good they are) and a CAT & Genny.

Re Dowsing. Would you recommend M&S hangers or would Primark ones do?

"This isn't any dowsing tool this is an M&S dowsing tool!" :lol:

Metal rod pushed down trough the ground and you can map out where the pipe is and work out where the manhole cover is. Just push the rod into the ground all over your garden and when it stops because it's hit something put a small stake and you should get a line of stake showing where the pipe. Once you've found the pipe it shouldn't be that hard to find the manhole.

Hope this help.

There are rocks embedded in it from fist size to foot size!

It looks like the pipe finder is the go.

There are rocks embedded in it from fist size to foot size!

It looks like the pipe finder is the go.

******! 😞

Google Earth? You quite often see old working on it.

One suggestion that hasn't come up yet: tell Channel 4 that there is an as yet undiscovered Roman fart there, and the Time Team will be down like a shot. They'll dig it up until the manhole comes to light. Sorted.

put a stick of explosives in the pipe light fuse block end of pipe stand back manhole should be uncoverd as lid gos airborne job done :lol: :lol: :lol:

I think that the reason that the manhole is so difficult to find is that the politically correct approach is not being used. Try thinking of it as a person- or people- hole.

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So how goes it, Stuey?
Did you find it?