Cobbles or Setts

[Heartland]

Some streets such as Pickford Street seen to retain the setts in the road. They may be made of granite or Rowley Rag and it would be of interest to discover that other members think of their use and how they were cut to the same regular size.

 

[Morturn]

There were quarries at Mancetter, Atherstone who employed gangs of women to cut sets for roads. They did it all with hammers by hand and eyed them to size.

 

[mw0njm.]

Laying Reclaimed Setts

Construction methods for re-creating authentic sett pavements using reclaimed or salvaged setts

www.pavingexpert.com

 

[Pedrocut]

Dolerite (Rowley Rag) quarried mainly from the large dolerite quarries on and around the Rowley Hills, and then dressed in nearby stone yards and works in Dudley, Old Hill, and Blackheath.

Worked by many small operators through the 19th century, later consolidated by The Rowley Rag Stone Co. Ltd. Some was also finished in Birmingham Corporation’s own yard at Montague Street, Bordesley, for city paving schemes.

 

[Radiorails]

I wonder if this stone was used in the setts adjacent to Birmingham's tramway system? After all there were many routes at one time in the former system and the highways department would be probably one of their best customers.

 

[Pedrocut]

There are mentions of the “Stone Yard” in Montague Street around the 1850s-1860s and there seems to be a shift from the rowley rag setts to Staffordshire blue brick paviors, as shown in the first picture. There is evidence for tenders to crush 8,000 tons of Rowley Rag, but this may be for the road surfaces. There are also tenders for contracts to lay the setts.

 

[Pedrocut]

Spitting granite…(plug and feather)

 

[Lloyd]

There were wooden setts as well, often laid outside of churches and hospitals to keep the traffic noise down. Do I remember RUBBER ones in the Minories, between the two halves of the Lewis's building?

 

[Radiorails]

Yes, Lloyd, you do remember those rubber versions in the Minories. I used the make an appeal to walk on them as a youngster = which my guardian usually was agreeable. The wooden ones, mentioned in another thread, were much sought after when replaced.

 

[Lloyd]

The wooden ones, mentioned in another thread, were much sought after when replaced.

Burnt in the fireplace very well, I understand, although the tar they were soaked in gave off a lot of smoke!

 

[Morturn]

I do recall the wooden sets along Slade Road Erdington. They ran from the kerbs to about 6ft out into the road. They had been tarmacked over which was lifting and showing the wooden sets. The center of the road was quite a good surface which I was told was where the old tram tracks were lifted. It was hard work riding a bike over where the sets were, especially on a wet day with all the potholes.

 

[Richard Dye]

There were wooden setts as well, often laid outside of churches and hospitals to keep the traffic noise down. Do I remember RUBBER ones in the Minories, between the two halves of the Lewis's building?

Yes, I remember the “rubber road” as I recall it could get quite slippery when wet (carry over) even though it was covered.

 

[Richard Dye]

I do recall the wooden sets along Slade Road Erdington. They ran from the kerbs to about 6ft out into the road. They had been tarmacked over which was lifting and showing the wooden sets. The center of the road was quite a good surface which I was told was where the old tram tracks were lifted. It was hard work riding a bike over where the sets were, especially on a wet day with all the potholes.

But I think harder riding over the tram tracks on a bike! I hit the deck more than a few times when my wheel got caught.