Author Topic: Metal kerbs: have you seen them?  (Read 1869 times)

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Metal kerbs: have you seen them?
« on: 16 June, 2019, 07:33:38 pm »
Bristol has them and I thought I'd seen them in various other places, but I've just read that they're pretty much restricted to here:
https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/you-see-iron-pavement-edges-2941271
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Leeds and Southampton were quick to follow suit, and examples of this iron edging can be found in those cities too, but nowhere has as much as Bristol.
I suspected local acts of journalism but a quick search turned up several photos of such kerbs labelled as being distinctively Bristolian and this, which added a little more detail on their local origins: https://www.about-bristol.co.uk/eye-05.asp
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A distinctive iron pavement kerbing was frequently used in Bristol streets, to prevent iron cartwheels damaging the stone paving. Many sections of the old edging still exist - Lower Park Row (below left) and Temple Street (below right) are typical examples. The iron kerb is almost unique to Bristol, Southampton being one of the few other places.

Iron kerbs were still being installed in the early 20th Century, when they were made by the Douglas Company of Kingswood. They used surplus metal left over from manufacture of their famous motorcycles.
Douglas motorbikes were known for their flat-twin engines, similar to those used by BMW, but I'm not sure if there's any connection between the two firms. But given the industrial connection, you might expect iron kerbs to be common in places like Coventry and Birmingham, though obviously there could be a distinctive Bristol design.

So who's got metal kerbs? Are they really geographically restricted?
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Kim

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Re: Metal kerbs: have you seen them?
« Reply #1 on: 16 June, 2019, 08:36:28 pm »
Coventry and Birmingham denote the edge of the footway by parking cars over it...

This is one of those things I'm going to have to start paying attention to now.

Cudzoziemiec

  • Ride adventurously and stop for a brew.
Re: Metal kerbs: have you seen them?
« Reply #2 on: 16 June, 2019, 08:38:10 pm »
That's metal but it ain't no kerb. And I wish I could say it was a peculiarly Brum habit.
Riding a concrete path through the nebulous and chaotic future.

Re: Metal kerbs: have you seen them?
« Reply #3 on: 17 June, 2019, 09:47:30 am »
I would suggest the "local journalism" has travelled very much.  I've seen cast iron kerbs in most Victorian city centres, particularly on corners.  The only thing that would stand up to iron tyred cart wheels.  Cast iron "fenders" on building corners as well - like a dumpy bollard with a quarter removed to fit the building.