Historic survivors in Brigg include the 17th century grammar school, the 18th century Exchange Coach House Inn and our Buttercross which is almost 200 years old.
They are all prominent and sizeable buildings that passers-by can't really miss.
But every day of every week, residents of Brigg walk and drive past many other historic survivors without even noticing.
We are talking about metal drain and manhole covers.
Among them are examples sold by E H Smith & Sons, the centuries-only ironmongers which had premises in the Market Place, and W Proctor - Builder.
Elsewhere are covers from the Scunthorpe Foundry, Grimsby firm Fowler & Holden and many made by the renowned Stanton and Staveley Ironworks in Derbyshire.
We photographed the examples here during a short walk from St Helen's Road to the TinTab end of the town centre. More examples to follow in a future post...
Another historic survivor is well above ground level - a mid-Victorian enamel sign in Garden Street (see pictures below).
Most of these attractive blue and white signs which once identified streets and courtyards were replaced some years ago by the familiar black and gold versions still in use today.
Quite why the one in Garden Street survived we can't recall. But we are pleased that it did.
'Garden Street' should be retrieved as an historical artefact.
ReplyDeleteThe blue and white signs were introduced in circa 1865 when the then Brigg 'council' recorded Street names...and in the process changed the name of some thoroughfares, ie The Butchery became Elwes St and Nicholson Yard became Coney Ct.
The gold and black town centre signs were introduced by the Civic Society....following sponsorship from the Brigg Market Town Initiative...(Yorkshire Forward) in about 2001.
Other projects that emerged at the time included the skate park at the Leisure Centre, the bandstand and Brigg Newsletter..later to become About Brigg and latterly, Brigg Matters.
However, the biggest known historic Brigg artefact remains a mystery. We know it's there because small sections were exposed in 1886 and 1933 respectively....it pre-dates the Brigg Bronze Age boats...and that is the substantial wooden walkway/causeway, dated from circa 900BC, across the Ancholme valley.
But no records indicate exactly were it was exposed, but it is believed to be in the area either side of the Ancholme in the proximity of the Glanford Boat Club.
The known massive structure suggests that Brigg was a much bigger Late Bronze Age settlement than is presently believed....abandoned after tidal flooding/silting circa 500BC.
In 1955, huge timbers were found in the New Ancholme embankment..these timbers were believed to have been cut thro' by the Dutch navvies cutting the new river in the C17th.
'Garden Street' should be retrieved as an historical artefact.
ReplyDeleteThe blue and white signs were introduced in circa 1865 when the then Brigg 'council' recorded Street names...and in the process changed the name of some thoroughfares, ie The Butchery became Elwes St and Nicholson Yard became Coney Ct.
The gold and black town centre signs were introduced by the Civic Society....following sponsorship from the Brigg Market Town Initiative...(Yorkshire Forward) in about 2001.
Other projects that emerged at the time included the skate park at the Leisure Centre, the bandstand and Brigg Newsletter..later to become About Brigg and latterly, Brigg Matters.
However, the biggest known historic Brigg artefact remains a mystery. We know it's there because small sections were exposed in 1886 and 1933 respectively....it pre-dates the Brigg Bronze Age boats...and that is the substantial wooden walkway/causeway, dated from circa 900BC, across the Ancholme valley.
But no records indicate exactly were it was exposed, but it is believed to be in the area either side of the Ancholme in the proximity of the Glanford Boat Club.
The known massive structure suggests that Brigg was a much bigger Late Bronze Age settlement than is presently believed....abandoned after tidal flooding/silting circa 500BC.
In 1955, huge timbers were found in the New Ancholme embankment..these timbers were believed to have been cut thro' by the Dutch navvies cutting the new river in the C17th.