Lobster wrote:

I've actually located something with my grand-daughter's metal
detector, though whether it is the lost stopcock I'm not sure.

Wouldn't have thought so. Unless it's a pretty sophisticated detector
the range is only going to be a few inches, and an external stop cock
will be much deeper than that. (If it was the stopcock, you'd probably
be able to trace the pipe too - assuming it's old, it will be metallic).

I should have said that it may be the metal cap over the stopcock.
The pipe is plastic, unfortunately, as I can see it
where it leaves the house.

--
Timothy Murphy
e-mail (80k only): tim /at/ birdsnest.maths.tcd.ie
tel: +353-86-2336090, +353-1-2842366
s-mail: School of Mathematics, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland