A group of 70 people, aged from seven to 83, have been picking up pairs of metal rods -- most made from old coat hangers -- at the historic Cressing Temple site, in a mass experiment to find out whether the ancient art of divining, or dowsing, really works.

During just one day, more than 60 picked up vital clues which could lead to Cressing Temple, which has been farmed since the Bronze Age, giving up more of its secrets.

Leading the experiment was Barry Crouch, senior technical officer with the historic buildings and conservation section of Essex County Council.

Reporter SUSAN KING has been talking to him to find out how dowsing works and what it can tell us about the past.

Archaeologist Barry Crouch first heard about dowsing when he was working on the excavations at Cressing. A local dowser was doing his own study of the site, mapping what he believed to be buried there.

"Over six years, he taught me how to dowse," said Barry. "I realised that the results can be very accurate.

Now I am writing a thesis for my post-graduate diploma in field archaeology, and I want to demonstrate that not only is dowsing reliable but that anyone can do it."

Dowsing works by picking up changes in the magnetic field, showing features hidden below ground.

Before dowsing began, the volunteers were taken through a series of tests, using dowsing rods to detect water, the edge of the road, Tudor cellars and a buried wall, said Barry.

"We had a very good-cross section of people -- men, women and children -- and it went really well. Of the 62 people who filed reports, there were only two who couldn't dowse."

The group then moved to an area of the site which has not been excavated.

"A lot of people dowsed what I believe to be a very large Tudor culvert, part of the drainage system for the site," said Barry.

"We've got some very good readings from a large number of people. It is excellent for my study because it shows that people who know nothing about archaeology or dowsing can find archaeological features."

"I now believe that, once I have analysed the reports, we will be able to say that there is an 80 per cent chance of finding good archaeology features using dowsing.

"I think we have proved what we set out to prove -- that dowsing is both accurate and repeatable."

The area the team worked was once the site of a Tudor great house, built around 1600.

The house complex would have included an interior courtyard, chapel and stair tower, three cellars, wooden outbuildings and a massive brick-built drainage system.

The results of the experiment will be analysed and written up to form part of Barry's thesis.

Cressing Temple is now run by Essex County Council. Visitors to the site can enjoy two spectacular medieval timber barns, an Elizabethan granary, a farmhouse and moats, as well as recreation of a Tudor walled garden.

Left to right: Ben Moss, April Mason and Colin Peal test their dowsing skills.

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