Posted by Jim Andrews on January 03, 2004 at 16:13:10 from 195.92.168.169 user JimA.
In Reply to: Re: Dowsing posted by Alex Forbes on December 25, 2003 at -1:28:10:
Good old Grandad! (I'm one - 'it's experience that counts'!) I mostly use map dowsing to find otherwise un-mapped places where the traces of Roman Roads and the like may be seen. Having marked the large-scale map, Judy and I drive as close as we can get, look over the hedge or whatever - and lo! Faint linear ditches, stonework or other typical signs do show for at least a few yards. These go on our plot, so that a pattern builds up. Which may or may not be useful to anyone, sometime.
Reliability? Amazing, frankly, to me. Mercifully, one can be brought heavily down to earth; I once famously dowsed a Roman fortlet (where one 'should' have been, archaeologically speaking), complete with outlines of buildings etc. We then excavated - and found zilch. Good for the soul.
Water is more tricky in the English Lake District - there's such a lot of it about that you can hardly miss it. I mostly stick to archaeology.
Jim