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Drainspotting!


Calvin72

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I don't know if you're aware of this Calvin but I have noticed that many of the old Victorian draincovers have been, or are in the process of being, replaced around where I live in the Sharrowvale Nether Edge areas.

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I don't know if you're aware of this Calvin but I have noticed that many of the old Victorian draincovers have been, or are in the process of being, replaced around where I live in the Sharrowvale Nether Edge areas.

So much for the councils concern of our history, why scrap them they are still doing what they are meant to do.

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Just been interviewed on BBC Radio Birmingham about Drainspotting. Will be on iplayer soon. Hopefully make some contact with likeminded people there!

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I don't know if you're aware of this Calvin but I have noticed that many of the old Victorian draincovers have been, or are in the process of being, replaced around where I live in the Sharrowvale Nether Edge areas.

Certainly am saw - I am often in the area. All over the City where AMEY do street repairs or resurfacing they seem to replace perfectly well functioning drain covers with modern ones. I am sure they do this to show their work rather than for any practical reason. The number of really damaged covers I have ever seen can be counted on one hand.

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Remember Drainspotting? It was all the rage back in the day :)

Charles Ross, Maker, Sheffield, appears all over ironwork in the Heeley/Ecclesall area but this example, in Endcliffe Park, is the only mid 19th century style drain cover of his that I have seen.

 

charles ross local board style.jpg

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Great condition c.1890 Duke of Norfolk cover in Spurr Street, Heeley. Under threat from Amey re-surfacing soon to take place. A legacy of the time when the estate of the Duke was responsible for sanitation on their land.

 

 

D of N.jpg

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T.Trueman of Edmund Road. Picture taken yesterday on said road.

Could be ..... Thomas Trueman,  builder,  5  Cavendish  Road. Masbro, Rotherham.

1911 directory.

Could have moved ... ?

Then again, probably no connection whatsoever, no trace in the 1925 directory.

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On 11/24/2015, 4:03:55, Calvin72 said:

Great condition c.1890 Duke of Norfolk cover in Spurr Street, Heeley. Under threat from Amey re-surfacing soon to take place. A legacy of the time when the estate of the Duke was responsible for sanitation on their land.

 

 

D of N.jpg

Gone - removed by Amey, along with hundreds of other examples of street Victoriana. Seriously they'll be none like this left in a few months.

 

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A couple of names and addresses to look up. Also a pre-1888 Sheffield Water Works Company feature converted to use by the Sheffield Corporation (found just off London Rd/Sharrow Lane junction).

Woodhouse & Co, Porter St.jpg

T Davidson, Howard Rd.jpg

SWWC, converted, pre 1888.jpg

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Whilst walking in Bakewell at the weekend I saw an example of a George Harvey & Co Ltd (Chapeltown) feature that I have never seen in Sheffield. I understand that we exported a lot of Sheffield made ironwork but I wonder why the different designs?

Octopus Grip? Patent applied for, so maybe it didn't catch on.

 

Harvey Octopus Grip.jpg

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31 minutes ago, Calvin72 said:

Whilst walking in Bakewell at the weekend I saw an example of a George Harvey & Co Ltd (Chapeltown) feature that I have never seen in Sheffield. I understand that we exported a lot of Sheffield made ironwork but I wonder why the different designs?

Octopus Grip? Patent applied for, so maybe it didn't catch on.

 

George Harvey & Co.  Charlton  Iron works, Chapeltown. 1901, 1905, 1911 & 1925 directories.

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I saw these about 18 months ago on Pond Street but never posted the photos on here for some reason. Not drain covers, but another street level item of interest, perhaps. I seem to recall seeing lots of these when I was a lot younger.

Not a local product, either.

pavement light 1.jpg

pavement light 2.jpg

pavement light 3.jpg

 

More information about at Hayward Brothers of Borough, London

In the lower left hand corner of the first image is this, also from The Great Wen

john jones.jpg

 

 

 

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An oval shaped Post Office telephones cover on Ecclesall Road South. Don't think I've seen another one.

oval shape P.O cover.jpg

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3 hours ago, Calvin72 said:

H C Atkinson, Shude Hill. Never seen one of these before. On Hunter House Road, near Hunter's Bar.

Shude Hill cover.jpeg

Not sure, nearest found: H G Atkinson, shown as a cement merchant at Shude Hill. shown in 1905, 1911, and 1925 directores ...

atkin 1925.jpg

 

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8 minutes ago, SteveHB said:

Not sure, nearest found: H G Atkinson, shown as a cement merchant at Shude Hill. shown in 1905, 1911, and 1925 directores ...

 

Was on Sheaf Street in 1889, advert.

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On 19/03/2014 at 19:50, SteveHB said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Could the arrow be there to show the direction of flow to the main drain, or direction of flow in the main drain?

 

I don't think this drain grate on the canal at Victoria Quays is that old, but I presume 'Traffic' and the 'Arrow' are referring to the directional flow of water ....

 

post-188-0-11182300-1395258321.jpg

post-188-0-71001000-1395258319_thumb.jpg

I've been right through this 'Drainspotting' thread and no one (I think) has mentioned the difference between drain covers that are 'lift out' and those that are hinged. This example is hinged at the bottom edge (of the photo that is), so the 'traffic' arrow is there to show the installer that the grate should be oriented so that wheeled traffic tends to push it down closed. If it was the other way round wheeled traffic could tend to lift the cover—or maybe vandals might lift them and leave them up—which would do a hell of a lot of damage to anything that hit them.

There has been quite a display of both hinged covers and 'lift out' covers on this thread but they are clearly different if you know what to look for. The older hinged covers tend to have a rounded or chamfered edge on the pivoted side, so that the lid can clear the surround as it swings up. As well as being more difficult to steal, the hinged covers save a lot of effort—cast iron drain covers are bloody heavy!   

The cover above posted by Steve is of a modern Stanton heavy duty drain cover (probably '70s or '80s). The pin that the lid pivots on can be seen through the gap at the bottom left. The gap on the right is too narrow to see the pin on the other side.

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On 14/07/2014 at 12:28, Calvin72 said:

I have finally worked out how to use my new mobile and laptop!

 

Here are the three 1890 drain covers i refer to above.

 

 

post-20988-0-90485000-1405337144_thumb.jpeg

post-20988-0-71005900-1405337158_thumb.jpeg

post-20988-0-54314800-1405337246_thumb.jpg

Further to my last comment;

The middle of the three grates shown in Calvin's photos here, is hinged, The top and bottom ore 'lift-out'.

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