That is approx 10m of hosepipe pipe and a pump to get it going?

want to drain water off from inside a rather intresting hole behind a rather suspicious looking soil bank.

If you only need the pump to start the siphon there is a trick that will avoid the need for a pump.
You will need a bung for each end of the hose.
Put the entire hose in the water and expel all of the air.
Whilst the hose is still under the water, put a bung in each end.
Lay the water filled hose from beneath the water level of the water you want siphoning and run it out to a point lower than where you are siphoning from. Take out the bung that is still under the water (keeping the end under the water)
Remove the other bung and the siphon should start, without any need for a pump...

Hope this is of use.

It's an awkward site- a head sized hole with water inside, behind a substantial soil bank. manually starting the syphon there will be tricky to say the least hence the pump. Aim is to drain the water out to see if it'll be worth doing some digging to gain access- ie to see if there is actually a passage or if it is dead within a few meters.

Ant89 wrote:
dig it anyway

use a pick // mattock to dig a slit to drain the water - it will also start the basis of your body sized hole to get in

PS - don't bother draining too much water - get an idiot in a wetsuit to push the lead

I'll let one of you dig out the substantial 1 metre high and 4 metre long (And that's just what is above the water level) bank to allow it to drain then

In light of the above, a bit more than 10 metres of pipe may be required.

oh, it's less than 30 metres away from a public footpath, and whilst not directly visible probably best to keep any activity low-key.

i've got some gear i can dig out somewhere will take an age through garden hose though if its a large volume?

It does look like it may be a large volume but I can't remember from memory. Shall get some photos of the site to better show the nature of the site, then stick a thread up on the digs section.