Tracing dead mains cabling

[emitting]

Quick question: i'm currently trying to trace wiring on a recent house purchase. It's an old property but the wiring has been updated at some point over the years, although not all at the same time, with various things added over the years, hence my question.

Originally the outside lights went on and off on their own, I was told it was all on a timer, now they no longer come on and I can not find where the timer is or where the circuit starts from. I've visually traced the cabling but it disappears at various points into walls and I can not tell where its going after that. I've checked all the circuit breakers, which have been marked up with the relating circuits, checked all the switchs that I have managed to find but to no avail.

What would be the best technique for tracing the cabling

 

[securespark]

Lift the boards.

 

[emitting]

Good idea but the problem is this is a 200+ year old property, the floor boards are straight onto the oak beams, there is no cavity between the ceiling and floor for the wiring to go (only very very small cavity anyway). According to the history, at some point in it's life it was half barn and half dwelling but over the years it has been converted to purely dwelling.

The problem is the exterior wiring from these lights disappears into the weather boarding, seemingly never to be seen again. It's a bit of a dilemma.

 

[dannyboi2003]

Ok this may seem a stupid question i know but have you checked that the lamps havent failed?

 

[FatGit]

Can't you get a thing that puts a tone signal on the cable and then you use another instrument that locates the tone? I believe that BT have them for tracing wiring.

 

[emitting]

Yep, checked the lamps and also tested the wiring as far as I can but no power.
I thought about the cable tester but they are expensive to buy and I can't find anywhere that'll hire them out.
Thanks for all your advice but I think that this weekend I'm going to have to rip it all out and start again, it seems the only way forward at the moment.