paul1966 Posted March 18, 2008 Report Share Posted March 18, 2008 (edited) where i take the dog for a walk in the next field a vertical drilling rig has appeared, there are two large plastic containers there also. the only thing i can think its doing is drilling for water? it was there last year but in a different field, today it was running and i noticed the drill sank about 6ft in about 20 minutes. is it drilling for water? seems to be allot of work for a few containers of water if it is. the rig is only there for a couple of weeks. Edited March 18, 2008 by paulolivier Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted March 18, 2008 Report Share Posted March 18, 2008 Maybe someone is dreaming of finding oil? just like the people who walk around with metal detectors looking for valuable items Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cappy0766 Posted March 18, 2008 Report Share Posted March 18, 2008 He'll be drilling a bore hole, to supply troughs etc with water. As mains water is so bloomin' dear nowadays. Does that help? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chard Posted March 18, 2008 Report Share Posted March 18, 2008 Black Gold......Texas Tea..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnGalway Posted March 18, 2008 Report Share Posted March 18, 2008 There's one of those around here at the moment, parked next to the church, perhaps hoping for devine intervention A good few people have had wells bored due to the **** quality of the council supplied water and also reliability of supply. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bunnybasher100 Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 i have heard that they drill holes like this to keep a eye on the water table. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baldrick Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 Yep, it's either the landowner having a borehole installed, or the water board doing a physical check. More likely to be the former, bearing in mind that many farmers earned enough cash after the '07 harvest to be able to afford capital works like borehole installations. A borehole isn't cheap, but it's a seriously good investment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 Yep, it's either the landowner having a borehole installed, or the water board doing a physical check. More likely to be the former, bearing in mind that many farmers earned enough cash after the '07 harvest to be able to afford capital works like borehole installations. A borehole isn't cheap, but it's a seriously good investment. If you have a good look round Farms, you may be surprised how many low circular concrete structures, with a plate on top you see. These are capped bore holes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baldrick Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 That could also be access to an irrigation main, Cranfield. Our borehole is covered with a simple manhole cover, with no visible concrete superstructure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 Baldrick, being a bit nosey, I actually asked what they were and that was the answer I was given by the Farmer. The whole set up is almost identical to an irrigation main, as it has the concrete surround and the valve/pipework etc inside. On a side issue a permission I use to shoot 30 years ago on the Hoo Peninsula had one of those "underground administration centres for local Government incase of emergency ". It was fenced off in a corner of an orchard and looked like the green roof of a small cottage sticking out the ground, with stairs leading down to a small door. A load of people in three transits use to come out for a whole weekend once a year and play in it. I spoke to the Farmer about it and he said he had been down inside and it was about 8 rooms with lots of communications stuff and they supposedly had 12 months supply of preserved foods down there. I don't know if its still there, or being maintained. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 they can also do soil sampling with a similar rig, sometimes this can be related to possible new roads or housing developments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baldrick Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 Cranners, a colleague of mine just valued a small nuclear bunker in Essex, which is of a similar set-up to the bunker you mentioned, except the access is literally a hatch in the middle of a patch of set-aside. Several farmers I know have similar shelters and bunkers, but the problem is that they are totally value-less, so are left to rot. Such bunkers are a health and safety problem, and a real magnet to chavs and vandals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandersj89 Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 Cranners, a colleague of mine just valued a small nuclear bunker in Essex, which is of a similar set-up to the bunker you mentioned, except the access is literally a hatch in the middle of a patch of set-aside. Several farmers I know have similar shelters and bunkers, but the problem is that they are totally value-less, so are left to rot. Such bunkers are a health and safety problem, and a real magnet to chavs and vandals. I agree, most likey a bore hole. I also agree re the bunkers being a right royal pain, we have one, or rather had one. It caved in a few years back and the ground around it is slowly settling. I went down into it a few times but would have hated to spend a year down there! Jerry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baldrick Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 Jerry, you're lucky that your bunker caved in before the Listed Buildings Gestapo came round and stuck a listing order on the thing (as has happened around here several times). Quite why a hole in the ground, half-filled with stagnant water, rotting furniture and tins of Spam should be listed, is beyond me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob300w Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 Because it creates jobs for white-collar government employees, if there is another reason, I would love to hear it..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dustyfox Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 it could be mole drains Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandersj89 Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 it could be mole drains No, I doubt it, mole drains are created by pulling a "mole" through the sub soil. (Not a furry black mole before anyone starts..... This is the sort of kit used: Jerry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 Jerry, you're lucky that your bunker caved in before the Listed Buildings Gestapo came round and stuck a listing order on the thing (as has happened around here several times). Quite why a hole in the ground, half-filled with stagnant water, rotting furniture and tins of Spam should be listed, is beyond me. Actually some of them are part of our war time herritage so I agree with preserving them so future generations can see exactly what went on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baldrick Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 al4x, I agree with preserving anything WWI or WWII-related, but small, reinforced-concrete bunkers from the Cold War era are pretty prevalent. Jerry, that's not your crawler, is it? I watched a contractor moleing after a pipeline installation on a farm last week, using a 500hp Challenger. He made it look quick and easy, not the slow and laborious job most farmers know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandersj89 Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 Jerry, that's not your crawler, is it? I watched a contractor moleing after a pipeline installation on a farm last week, using a 500hp Challenger. He made it look quick and easy, not the slow and laborious job most farmers know. No, I "stole" that off the web. I have done some drainage work in the past with a track and they pull on very well, nice and easy to keep a straight line too. We are lucky at home, we dont need to mole and have no dithces to worry about either, nice light sandy red soil that drains very well on it's own. The down side is it dries out in the summer......and that is me waaaaayyyyy of topic! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edward Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 Sorry Completly off topic, but while the subjet it up i (me and dad) have just finished making a mole polugh, its a beast goes down to 30" and for some bazzar reason we can pull it behind a 150hp fastrac. Sorry for being off topic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul1966 Posted March 19, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 Sorry Completly off topic, but while the subjet it up i (me and dad) have just finished making a mole polugh, its a beast goes down to 30" and for some bazzar reason we can pull it behind a 150hp fastrac. Sorry for being off topic Hi mate no need to apologize my original question was answered, as far as i'm concerned you guys can talk farming, i'm always interested in agricultural topics as i am sure others are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baldrick Posted March 19, 2008 Report Share Posted March 19, 2008 That's fairly surprising, Edward. It's heavy London clay here in NW Essex. I think a 150hp Fastrac would struggle here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edward Posted March 20, 2008 Report Share Posted March 20, 2008 It amazed us it even pulled up hill!!!! through normal wet clay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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