Now, not for the first time, I have been told that my interest in all thigs street furniture is a bit odd.
But you would be surprised at just how many other people share my fascination for coal hole covers, water troughs, finger posts and of course pillar boxes and telephone kiosks.
Most of the list are on the “danger list” of everyday objects from the past which are fast disappearing from our streets.
But some stubbornly cling on, and of these those smelly Victorian sewer pipes are can be found pretty much everywhere.
I say pretty much everywhere, but not entirely so, because great chunks of Manchester and other cities lack those tall elegant cast iron funnels.
And I never quite understood why, so I was pleased when Neil Simpson and Bill Sumner, offered up the definitive answer.
Neil Simpson told me, “we, in general, don't need sewer vent pipes in Manchester because Manchester is pretty flat and in general the sewers drains by gravity to the sewage treatment works.
E.g. most of the major sewers in Manchester drain by gravity to the main outfall leading from Chester Road, under Trafford Park and ending up at Davyhulme Sewage Works.
You generally only get sewer vent pipes in hilly areas (Sheffield has loads) where sewage can pool at low points in the sewers when flow rates are low or there is a risk of creating a partial vacuum in the sewers when flows are high, thus potentially sucking the water out of properties with inadequately vented U bends.
Strangely though, Liverpool has loads of sewer vent pipes, but that is because there is a huge interceptor sewer running the length of the riverfront that is used to store sewage during storms occurring at high tides, so theoretically could start to gas off”.
And Bill added, "Manchester City Waterworks regulations meant that every house had to have a sewerage pipe open to the air fitted within a few feet of any toilet, so the answer to your question Andrew is the smelly sewerage pipes in Manchester are fitted on the side of your house..... this was not the case in many areas, with explosive results.”
Leaving me to continue that well-trodden path of asking for images, anecdotes and descriptions of other “smelly sewerage pipes”.
My two come from Plumstead in south east London which is very hilly.
Location; all over but especially in hilly places
Pictures; the smelly Victorian sewer pipe, Plumstead, 2009, from the collection Liz and Colin Fitzpatrick
Most of the list are on the “danger list” of everyday objects from the past which are fast disappearing from our streets.
But some stubbornly cling on, and of these those smelly Victorian sewer pipes are can be found pretty much everywhere.
I say pretty much everywhere, but not entirely so, because great chunks of Manchester and other cities lack those tall elegant cast iron funnels.
And I never quite understood why, so I was pleased when Neil Simpson and Bill Sumner, offered up the definitive answer.
Neil Simpson told me, “we, in general, don't need sewer vent pipes in Manchester because Manchester is pretty flat and in general the sewers drains by gravity to the sewage treatment works.
E.g. most of the major sewers in Manchester drain by gravity to the main outfall leading from Chester Road, under Trafford Park and ending up at Davyhulme Sewage Works.
You generally only get sewer vent pipes in hilly areas (Sheffield has loads) where sewage can pool at low points in the sewers when flow rates are low or there is a risk of creating a partial vacuum in the sewers when flows are high, thus potentially sucking the water out of properties with inadequately vented U bends.
Strangely though, Liverpool has loads of sewer vent pipes, but that is because there is a huge interceptor sewer running the length of the riverfront that is used to store sewage during storms occurring at high tides, so theoretically could start to gas off”.
Leaving me to continue that well-trodden path of asking for images, anecdotes and descriptions of other “smelly sewerage pipes”.
My two come from Plumstead in south east London which is very hilly.
Location; all over but especially in hilly places
Pictures; the smelly Victorian sewer pipe, Plumstead, 2009, from the collection Liz and Colin Fitzpatrick
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