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Drainspotting!


Calvin72

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As Andy hints i think the 'Ecclesall Highways' cover dates to before Sheffield Corporation came into being in 1843. I know old maps show Ecclesall Bierlow area (parish i think). So i can't see how this cover can be from after Incorporation? All in all another interesting day!

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Well, that's quite a turn up for the books ain't it? I'm a bit stumped by those Ecclesall Highways covers. It suggests that they were installed by an authority other than the Sheffield Local Board/Corporation. Clearly if we are talking about a mid 19th century date then that part of what is now Sheffield would have fallen outside of the municipal boundary I'm guessing. Ecclesall Bierlow is indeed where they would have been but I'm really unsure as to any conclusions can be drawn. Probably a good search of the local newspapers for any reference to Ecclesall Highways.

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There are several mentions of the Surveyors of the Highways for Ecclesall pre-1843. This is the earliest I could find:

There's a saying - "plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose" (Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr in the January 1849 issue of his journal Les Guêpes.)

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Well, that's quite a turn up for the books ain't it? I'm a bit stumped by those Ecclesall Highways covers. It suggests that they were installed by an authority other than the Sheffield Local Board/Corporation. Clearly if we are talking about a mid 19th century date then that part of what is now Sheffield would have fallen outside of the municipal boundary I'm guessing. Ecclesall Bierlow is indeed where they would have been but I'm really unsure as to any conclusions can be drawn. Probably a good search of the local newspapers for any reference to Ecclesall Highways.

Not exactly sure what to look for, this is the earliest reference I came across.

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Courtesy of the National Archives:

"The Highway Act 1835 (5 & 6 Will IV c.50) defines highways as all roads, bridges (not being county bridges), carriageways, cartways, horseways, bridleways, footways, causeways, churchways and pavements. Navigable rivers and ferries are also public highways. A highway may exist by prescription, uninterrupted use since time immemorial, by Act of Parliament or by dedication. A dedication exists where a person expressly or tacitly throws open for public use a road on his land, and the public assent to or avail themselves of the dedication.

Section 23 of the 1835 Act provided that no road or other way was to be deemed a highway maintainable at public expense unless notice of dedication had been given in writing to the parish surveyor. The form of such notification was printed as a schedule to the Act

Turnpike roads did not fall within the operation of the Highway Act 1835. Most were transferred in the latter part of the nineteenth century from turnpike trusts to Highway Boards."

"A treatise on the law of ways: including highways, turnpike roads and tolls etc" by H Woolrych was written in 1829, published 1834 and gives an insight into the laws applicable at the time - see page 82 for drainage information:

Law of Ways - Humphry Woolrych

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Hi saw,

We will be going on a field trip to the area soon - Can you point us in the direction of your covers please? :)

Bit of an aside really, but this lane and bridge over the Porter is believed to mark a very old crossing point. There's a theory gaining ground that the Roman road from Brough to Templeborough didn't go via Long Causey but via Wynyards Nick, past Carl Wark, towards Ringinglow and crossed the Porter at this point.

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It certainly looks like an ancient crossing to me. It would be an excellent place to get across the Porter too. I'm guessing this little road would have been a lot busier when the old water wheel (which I assume was at the end of the long mill race) was working. It's very green now, but I bet it was quite industrial at one point.

Indeed Andy. The wheelpit is still visible behind the cafe, and the tailrace rejoins the river just above the bridge. Then there's the masterpiece of water management in the long goit that runs alongside the path and feeds water into Wire Mill Dam, which had two large waterwheels driving at various times a wire mill and a steel rolling mill. And overlooking the bridge is the former button factory, so this must have been the centre of a very busy industrial area. Perhaps this accounts for the Ecclesall gratings, as it must have been quite an important highway from early in the industrial revolution.

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Without reading back through all the previous posts, I don't know if we have examples of these.

Do they add anything ?

Walter Street

Sheffield Corporation 1907

Bilston Street

Sheffield Corporation 1907

Both off Burton Street.

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1907 is not a very common year - Sheffield Corporation dates we have go from 1890 to 1926. There are fewer from the first few years of the 20th Century than the last few of the 19th.

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Indeed Andy. The wheelpit is still visible behind the cafe, and the tailrace rejoins the river just above the bridge. Then there's the masterpiece of water management in the long goit that runs alongside the path and feeds water into Wire Mill Dam, which had two large waterwheels driving at various times a wire mill and a steel rolling mill. And overlooking the bridge is the former button factory, so this must have been the centre of a very busy industrial area, and all built by Thomas Boulsover with the proceeds of his silver-plated buttons! Perhaps this accounts for the Ecclesall gratings, as it must have been quite an important highway from early in the industrial revolution.

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I'm of the view that (as expressed previously by someone) the lettering was put in separately. If you look at the two examples, the letter "A" is bang central on one, but slightly to the left on the other. It would make sense to have standard patterns for the covers, so that they could be used for different Authorities, and interchangeable lettering to complete the different orders.

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I am not sure if i have said this before but a few months ago i started applying for listing status for drain covers and other pavement features. The initial application was turned down as features could not be proved as being 'in situ' as they are usually portable. I hope the efforts of all of us on here are going some way to proving provenance, as we are showing that streets almost always date back to the dates of the old drain covers. When i think over Sheffield Local Board, Sheffield Highways, Ecclesall Highways, old P.O features, National Telephone Company, Sheffield Light and Power Co., Sheffield Tramways etc i cannot believe that we have to prove history and provenance over and above the standard required for buildings and above ground features. I started out trying to research and map features for the purpose of education, but also protection. I believe we have done our part and i hope the authorities follow suit. I thank everyone for contributing to what i think has been a groundbreaking piece of research.

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Thanks vox - there are plenty of ´Geo Harvey´ features in the City, sometimes whole streets kitted out with covers and drains. Interesting to know that he and Charlton Ironworks are one and the same.

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Off the top of my head i think the first missing dates after 1890 are 1909/10. It is from there on that dates become rarer - i guess the work was more or less complete on Sheffield's streets by then. The latest 'Sheffield Corporation' drain cover date is 1926. Of course if anyone can find a date prior to 1890...

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Having posted the above, i was walking down Meadow Terrace in Sharrow Vale, a small back street, and found it is kitted out with Sheffield Corporation 1910 and 1911 drains and one 1929 dated cover. All of which means i now have every year from 1890 to 1914 and that 1929 is now the latest date found. Presumably soon afterwards the contractor's covers. such as Blake's Foundry. started to appear

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Brightside Foundry

During the period 1862-1926, Buckley & Taylor made over 200 engines, with a total capacity of 160,000 ihp or more. Many of these were built for local cotton mills, and the majority were relatively large engines, characteristic of the cotton spinning industry. The success of the firm owed much to the dynamism of its two founders, particularly Samuel Buckley who continued as head of the business after the death of James Taylor in 1892 until he died in 1911, after which William Taylor, James' son, took control.

In 1902 the firm changed its status to that of a private limited company. It continued under family control, with both Buckley's and Taylors involved, until 1947 when it was taken over by the Brightside Foundry and Engineering Co. Ltd., General Engineers Sheffield.

Source

==========================

The Companies Acts 1862 to 1898.
Special Resolutions (pursuant to Companies Act
1862, sec. 51) of the Brightside Foundry
Company Limited
. Passed the 27th day of
September, 1899. Confirmed the 13th day of
October, 1899.

" That it is expedient to effect an amalga-
mation of the business of this Company with
those of J. C. and J. S. Ellis Limited, and the
firm of Walker, Eaton and Co., Sheffield, and
that with a view thereto this Company be wound
up-voluntarily, and that John William Best, of
20, Bank-street, Sheffield, Chartered Accountant,
be, and he is hereby appointed Liquidator for the
purpose of such winding up.

Source

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Beeley Foundry Picture Sheffield

==========================

THE LONDON GAZETTE, 28 DECEMBER, 1948

BEELEY FOUNDRY CO. Limited.
The Companies Act, 1948.
(Members' Voluntary Winding-up.)
AT an Extraordinary General Meeting of the
Members of the above named Company duly con-
vened and held at 25, Figtree Lane, Sheffield, in the
county of Yorks, on the 21st day of December 1948,
the following Special Resolution was duly passed: —
" That the Company be wound up" voluntarily and
that Harold Henry Whittles of 25, Figtree Lane,
Sheffield, in the county of Yorks, Incorporated
Accountant, be and he is hereby appointed Liquidator
for the purpose of the winding-up."
(014)
W. F. GRACIE, Chairman

Source

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