HELP! Culvert in my garden.

[bears9h]

I am wondering if anyone can help me with what started as an upgrade to my pond, After digging it deeper and wider I came across some lumps of stone in my garden about 2ft down, so being me I hit them with a big hammer and removed the things, then found there was a cavity inside although it was somewhat damp and full of silt I assumed it wasn't in use as it must be at least a few decades old and not shown on any plans I have for drainage at my house.

 

Anyway the hole has sat there looking at me for 3 to 4 weeks as I tidied it up ready for the day my pond was delivered, after putting a ton or so of sand in last night for the base I awoke after a night of no rain to find about 3 inches of water in it and a steady flow of what looks like clean water flowing in, this continued for a few hours and then stopped and drained away, then a few hours later off we go again flowing and filling. At the minute it has drained again and no more water. I have phoned Seven Trent water and they said they couldn't help and told me to phone Yorkshire Water, and guess what they said, phone Seven Trent. Acouple of trips round the block and I was told phone the council as they deal with culverts. I am waiting a call back.

 

Just wondered if anyone has any constructive ideas what I can do with it, with out it costing me an arm and a leg.

 

I am assuming there will be an entrance to it somewhere?and should it be in use or should it be blocked off?

[andygardener]

If it's not on the plans then it almost certainly won't be anything to do the water company. Sounds like either a natural spring or an old man made soakaway that has silted up. Without a photo it's hard to advise, but basically if your new pond will block it up you need to provide a drainage route for the water, either into your surface water/foulwater drains or downhill to the next guy. If you don't then you will end up with a boggy garden. How far away from your surface drainage is it?

[Stuhouselet]

If it's not on the plans then it almost certainly won't be anything to do the water company

 

Not correct. There are many Victorian drains unmarked on Yorkshire waters plans.

[andygardener]

Not correct. There are many Victorian drains unmarked on Yorkshire waters plans.

 

As a percentage what would you say they were? 80%? 40%? 20%? 0.2%? Hence almost certainly.

 

Anything useful to say?

[Alcoblog]

If it's anything to do with George Calvert (aka Lord Baltimore and inventor of Maryland), it's got to have been there for getting on four hundred years. He was probably using it to hide water from James 1st to make his famous cookies.

Any sign of fossilized chocolate chips in the rockery I wonder?

[bears9h]

If it's not on the plans then it almost certainly won't be anything to do the water company. Sounds like either a natural spring or an old man made soakaway that has silted up. Without a photo it's hard to advise, but basically if your new pond will block it up you need to provide a drainage route for the water, either into your surface water/foulwater drains or downhill to the next guy. If you don't then you will end up with a boggy garden. How far away from your surface drainage is it?

 

The culvert runs across one corner of the pond so I may be able to pipe it around the edge, the pond is on the back garden and the drains on the front so don't think I can easily pipe it in. I did a bit more digging last night and the feed side looks to have collapsed under the garden whether I can still pipe into it I'm not sure, the council are supposed to be ringing me today also hopefully with some advice, just a note it hasn't run again since yesterday, and yesterday was the first time in 4 weeks. What I don't want to do is pipe past me and flood my neighbour.

[Stuhouselet]

As a percentage what would you say they were? 80%? 40%? 20%? 0.2%? Hence almost certainly.

 

Anything useful to say?

 

Almost certain in my mind means 99.9% - I doubt it is anything like that - so you are giving misleading info

[Agent Orange]

Plug the gap, and cover. Move your pond elsewhere, if possible. Could cost you a fortune otherwise.

[alchresearch]

Cover it up. If your insurers find out about it they'll ramp up your premiums for having a "flood risk"!

 

Shirtcliffe Brook was culverted like this at Woodhouse Mill on the HorseWood estate. I'm sure there are many more around the city.

 

There are some very detailed maps online. I don't know South Yorkshire's equivalent, but Lancashire county council have MARIO and Cheshire has Tithe Maps.

 

Oh, and congrats to those bitching about figures just four posts into the thread.

[SHYTOT]

Cover it up. If your insurers find out about it they'll ramp up your premiums for having a "flood risk"!

 

Shirtcliffe Brook was culverted like this at Woodhouse Mill on the HorseWood estate. I'm sure there are many more around the city.

 

There are some very detailed maps online. I don't know South Yorkshire's equivalent, but Lancashire county council have MARIO and Cheshire has Tithe Maps.

 

Oh, and congrats to those bitching about figures just four posts into the thread.

 

There are many such culverts around the Norton area. They often lead from land drains and springs in Graves Park and pass for hundreds of yards under residential areas into local streams. In heavy rain they can't cope and the park floods, but the culverts do carry real flow and build up real pressure.

If this is the case just filling in the hole may well lead to water blowing through when the weather turns bad.

My advice would be to repair the culvert and bury it. It was put there for a purpose. Repair might cost a few quid but underpinning a house when the foundations are washed away costs thousands.