Roadsides in Waterford County

losthorizon

I'm sure this must have been asked before. Apologies if it has. Im a blow in to Waterford (although living here now 10 years) and have never seen these anywhere else but Waterford County. Its the walls beside the roads about every 1 to 2 miles apart. Its like its is a bay for storing materials or an indendation in the wall. They look quite old and some of them have definitely been restored. Does anybody know what these are for? How come they only happen in Waterford and nowhere else in the country?

I'm from Cork (the city) and I cant remember seeing them anywhere in the county of cork or anywhere else for that matter. Does anybody have a date for these as well?

Thanks

looksee

Kind of sounds like co-op collection points for milk, but they are not exclusive to Waterford, do you have a pic?

Poor Uncle Tom

We call them stone depots. They are constructed of rubble stone with a coping..

I just found this..

The parish of Rathgormack has a large collection of "Stone depots" within it. These are small recessed areas bounded by rubblestone walls with vertical coping located on the roadsides around County Waterford. These depots were used for the breaking and storage of stone for use in the construction of roads by the local landowners under the aegis of the Grand Jury. There are 47 such depots along the R676 Lemybrien to Carrick on Suir road listed on the RPS (Record of Protected Structures) and are of social and historical interest. Work on this road began in 1840 and took 5 years.

"In order to provide labour and a source of income in the area which was greatly effected by the Potato Famine of 1845-49 , some work relief schemes were started in 1846. Roads were widened and repaired, hills and hollows were levelled. A "New Line", as it is still referred to today, was cut and built as a new road between Carrick and Lemybrien."

mike65

losthorizon wrote: »

I'm sure this must have been asked before. Apologies if it has. Im a blow in to Waterford (although living here now 10 years) and have never seen these anywhere else but Waterford County. Its the walls beside the roads about every 1 to 2 miles apart. Its like its is a bay for storing materials or an indendation in the wall. They look quite old and some of them have definitely been restored. Does anybody know what these are for? How come they only happen in Waterford and nowhere else in the country?

I'm from Cork (the city) and I cant remember seeing them anywhere in the county of cork or anywhere else for that matter. Does anybody have a date for these as well?

Thanks

You will have noticed the distance markers with their distinctive livery as well I'm sure. I have never seen these outside Co Waterford.

The "new line" is the best driving road in the county for my money.

losthorizon

Thanks. I must get out and take a decent picture of one.

losthorizon

mike65 wrote: »

You will have noticed the distance markers with their distinctive livery as well I'm sure. I have never seen these outside Co Waterford.

Are these the kind of triangular things attached to the sides of walls or ditchs ?

mike65

Heres one I photo'd

looksee

That's interesting about the stone depots, must look out for them.

You do see other recesses in the walls with a raised level bit and concrete steps going up to them so that churns could be lifted straight onto the raised bit and then onto the co-op lorry without dropping and lifting them. They seem to be mostly in Kilkenny now I think of it.

Poor Uncle Tom

looksee wrote: »

That's interesting about the stone depots, must look out for them.

You do see other recesses in the walls with a raised level bit and concrete steps going up to them so that churns could be lifted straight onto the raised bit and then onto the co-op lorry without dropping and lifting them. They seem to be mostly in Kilkenny now I think of it.

Yes, Milk Stands, they're all over the place.

Black Dog

Are they not milestones, giving the distances to the towns marked on them.

From Mike65's photograph I can see that it is 43miles 4 furlongs and 3 perches to Waterford and you can read the distance to Cappoquin and Tallow yourself.

There's an advantage to being old - I know old stuff.

Poor Uncle Tom

You are quite right. Mike's picture is indeed a milestone.

Post numbers 2, 8 and 9 refer to Milk Stands Only.
Post numbers 1, 3 and 5 refer to Stone Depots
and Post numbers 4, 6 and 7 refer to the Milestones....:),

Is everyone clear....:D

mike65

Who could have guessed there was so much to the roadsides of county Waterford.

squeakyduck

Good to see good awl Rathgormack has got a shout out in this fine forum!