Probable late 19th or 20th century inspection chamber, West Square (EHER 47092)

A probable late 19th or 20th century inspection chamber was discovered by highway engineers in March 2003. It was built of stock bricks, and covered with two steel joists with low brick arches sprung between them. The feature was at first thought to be a cellar, but it was unusually small with a low ceiling and was criss-crossed by old gas pipelines. It seems probable, therefore, that this was a large manhole or inspection chamber for the maintenance of the gas pipes and sewer.

In March 2003, during townscape improvement works in West Square, a hole measuring approx. 3m x 4m was found by highway engineers. It was built of stock bricks, and covered with two steel joists with low brick arches sprung between them. The building materials and vault technique indicate a late 19th or 20th century date. The feature was at first thought to be a cellar, but it was unusually small with a low ceiling, and also unrelated to any buildings known to have stood in this position. It was also criss-crossed by old gas pipelines, and at one end was a large iron capping thought to be linked to a sewer. It seems probable, therefore, that this was a large manhole or inspection chamber for the maintenance of the gas pipes and sewer. <1>