2009

TM2749 : The Old Bell and Steelyard, New Street, Woodbridge

taken 15 years ago, near to Woodbridge, Suffolk, England

The Old Bell and Steelyard, New Street, Woodbridge.
The Old Bell and Steelyard, New Street, Woodbridge.
From the pub website. What is a Steelyard? In times gone by it was used to weigh carts when the government of the time passed a Road Traffic Act. This was because carts were getting heavier and the steel banded wheels were becoming much thinner and damaging the road surface. The new act stated that a toll had to be paid if loads were over 2.5 tons.
Local records suggest that the Steelyard was added to the original building somewhere around 1680.
This steelyard was last used commercially in the 1880s. It was dismantled in 1897 and taken to London for a Victorian exhibition before being reinstated. A working model of this very steelyard can be seen in the Science Museum in London and also in the Avery Museum.
Technical data...
The load capacity is 3 tons (imperial).
Main beam is 13feet long and mainly forged from iron.
The counterweight weighed 108lbs and was made of lead.
Steelyards died out as modern drive on / drive off weighbridges were invented. This steelyard is 1 of only two complete steelyards left in the country, the second is in Soham near Cambridge which is said to have raised an elephant in the 1880s.

Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]   © Copyright Chris Gunns and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Category: Steelyard
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1:50,000 Modern Day Landranger(TM) Map © Crown Copyright
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TM2749, 756 images   (more nearby 🔍)
Photographer
Chris Gunns   (more nearby)
Date Taken
Friday, 20 November, 2009   (more nearby)
Submitted
Tuesday, 9 March, 2010
Subject Location
OSGB36: geotagged! TM 272 491 [100m precision]
WGS84: 52:5.6460N 1:18.9424E
Camera Location
OSGB36: geotagged! TM 272 491
View Direction
West-southwest (about 247 degrees)
Clickable map
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Image classification(about): Supplemental image
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