A bit of drainspotting...

[geoff_nicholls]

not of any architectural importance, but I wondered if anyone else had come across these?
In a few streets in Leyton, East London, we have metal plates in the gutters instead of the usual three rows of granite setts. They seem to have been in place for quite a few years. I've never seen them anywhere else. Does anyone know anything about them?

 

[Ian G]

could be a structural problem in the channel

Ian G

 

[simond]

it's not obvious from the photo - are they level with the curbstone tops, in which case does the water run underneath, or are they sloped down to form the channel?

if the former, perhaps they are to make it easier to run sack-barrows or the like on and off the pavement?

best
Simon

 

[Peter Cross]

I agree Simon they look like ramps rather than gulley's.

 

[John K]

If they were ramps I'm surprised they haven't they been nicked and sold for scrap.
For what it's worth, I think they may be the top parts of a section of cast iron drainage gulley.
John K

 

[simond]

I could imagine that, John, but wondered if they were somehow “built in situ” - a sort of triangular “ramp and gulley all in one”

Best
Simon

 

[Ressaldar]

For what it's worth, I think they may be the top parts of a section of cast iron drainage gulley.
John K

Hi John,

if they were part of a gulley system, I would have expected some form of aperture through the plate to let water drain through, as it is, they are grooved which to me suggest that water would run along the top rather than through it. It would be interesting to know what the total run of these 'plates' is, as that might shed some light on their use/function.

regards

Mike

 

[geoff_nicholls]

they seem to me to be an alternative to the 2 or 3 lines of granite setts next to the kerb, they run along most of the street which has them, on both sides. There is no curved equivalent for corners. They were there before I moved into the area in 1981, and look as though they could be from pre 1965, so Leyton UDC Essex

 

[Overseer]

Are they reused cart plateway plates? Commercial Road had a cast iron plateway from St Katharines to Limehouse for the heavy traffic and there were others around the docks. Not sure about any in Leyton, they were usually shown on OS maps, sometimes labelled as 'tramway' which can confuse things.

Edit: to correct the Commercial Road 'tramway' details - it predated cast iron plates and was built with Aberdeen granite tracks. Other later ones were cast iron.

 

[simond]

they seem to me to be an alternative to the 2 or 3 lines of granite setts next to the kerb, they run along most of the street which has them, on both sides. There is no curved equivalent for corners. They were there before I moved into the area in 1981, and look as though they could be from pre 1965, so Leyton UDC Essex

Certainly I recall “wide long” (maybe 10-12” x 24-30”) stones as the base of gutters, which presumably were limited to straight runs, the triple row of setts being appropriate for corners. The cast iron could certainly be an alternative.

On the cart plateway theme, there are a couple of entries into courtyards through building frontages in central Dundee, where iron “wheel guides” are provided, inset into the setts which themselves form the “driveway” across the pavement slabs, presumably to prevent the cart hitting the building. These, however have raised edges, and substantial curved entries. I’ll see if I can find a photo.

Best
Simon

 

[simond]

Google streetview

Google Maps

I was mistaken, they don't actually cross the pavement, but they clearly guide carts through the entry

Simon

(and the Mexican restaurant is ok, too)

 

[John K]

Hi Geoff
Can you give us a street address in Leyton where we can find theses iron chunks?
BTW Leyton is still in Essex as far as I'm concerned.
Best,
John

 

[oldravendale]

Google streetview

Google Maps

I was mistaken, they don't actually cross the pavement, but they clearly guide carts through the entry

Simon

(and the Mexican restaurant is ok, too)

That'd be an interesting little feature to model......

Brian

 

[geoff_nicholls]

a street address in Leyton where we can find theses iron chunks

Coopers Lane in Leyton E10, if you use google you can see the plates on the northern side of the road.