A water diviner demonstrates

TV reporter John Doyle interviews a water diviner who has successfully located water at Kinghead Farm in Lupitt near Honiton in Devon. Divining also known as dowsing is a type of divination attempting to locate sources of water underground.

There is no scientific evidence to prove that dowsing works. An A, Y or L shaped rod or twig is used as a divining rod although some dowsers use other equipment or nothing at all. The practice may have come from Germany in the 15th century where dowsers were employed to look for metals underground. In 1662 the act of dowsing is considered a satanic ritual by a Jesuit because he could not be sure if it wasn't the devil moving the rod. In the 17th century the divining rod is used to track criminals and heretics. Dowsing is still used today by farmers and even water companies.