A year to show up 120 year + old drainage systems

[Vader]

Mine are easy to spot as the bits in between have no plants

Same here.
Some land we took on had no record of the drains. But same as you happened. We have put a marker where each touches ditch and been locating the ends while to wet for anything else.

 

[collie]

it makes me so sad when you think of the toil and suffering that these men went through to make the land better for us so we could grow our food. Then along comes the educated generation that says oh we don’t need all this food let’s just flood it and plant it all with trees instead.

 

[Fielder]

Do you know what depth these drains are done at ?

They are about 2ft down, but they do vary .

 

[serf]

They are about 2ft down, but they do vary .

Similar to here then that found when putting some plastic in

 

[renewablejohn]

Been giving Grandson lessons on old drains this winter. Patterns visible in most fields.

This farm all drained circa 1850 with 2" tiles at 10 yard spacing with (usually ) 3" mains.

Often 4 ft deep, most still working well. Whenever need to investigate, they are laid very accuratly.
Only thing they didn`t get right,went straight up the hill, been better at an angle.

When our family bought the farm in 1862 they took on 2 loans from a gov agency ( forget the name ) paying off drainage.

Are you sure there 10 yds not 11 yds. Our drains are all 11 yds I believe its because they used to drag a chain (22yds) from 1 trench to the next with an end of the chain in each hand.

 

[upnortheast]

Yes definitely 10 yards. 1st one 5 yards off the fence. Very accurate

 

[Secret Agronomist]

Seen a few where the main is 11 yards off the fence, now where does the outside wheel run in a 24m system,mmmmmm! Or the main is at the foot of a hedge!

 

[2wheels]

They are about 2ft down, but they do vary .

better than the old 2" ones that we found on our farm. they were less than a foot deep, some just 8" which got torn up with the plough. the new we laid were a minimum of 2.5 ft.

 

[Ramrod]

Are you sure there 10 yds not 11 yds. Our drains are all 11 yds I believe its because they used to drag a chain (22yds) from 1 trench to the next with an end of the chain in each hand.

Certainly the old measuring chains that I had anything to do with you could carry in one hand. In the Lincolnshire fens whole field drains were usually a chain apart. Agree first run was half chain but not because of dragging a heavy chain.

 

[renewablejohn]

Certainly the old measuring chains that I had anything to do with you could carry in one hand. In the Lincolnshire fens whole field drains were usually a chain apart. Agree first run was half chain but not because of dragging a heavy chain. View attachment 1177248

Never said anything about the chain being heavy.

 

[Old apprentice]

Some of the main drains are down 5ft all did in stages to get to that depth and it is hard clay with stones in and ocasinal boulder . I have dug in it by hand and it is awsom stuff to dig years ago a drainage man from the ministry said the old drains wanted cutting because they go straight up the hill even so I would not cut them. To me that would be sacrilege to the work that the past generation did.