"Subterranean" Exploration!

We've lived in this house (now 118 years old - that's the house, not us!!) for 36 years and never had a problem with damp. However a small patch of dampness on the lower part of one wall has recently appeared so my Editor decided that I should investigate the foundations.

One advantage of being a skinny-but-not-all-that-tall chap is that I can get through fairly narrow gaps with reasonable ease. Over the years I've had several expeditions under the floor so it doesn't faze me too much. So down I went to crawl through the gaps in the sleeper walls to the area below the damp area. There was absolutely no sign of subterranean damp, for which I was pleased. However it doesn't answer the question of where it comes from. Condensation seems unlikely as the room is well ventilated and even still has an open chimney. Further investigation seems indicated!

I good point is that it gave me a blip, which shows several "generations" of pipework and electric cables, along with one of the gaps I had to squeeze through!