Cycling UK Forum

Because without the cobbles the Ronde van Vlaanderen (Tour of Flanders) would be just another bike race,
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Setts are better for horses and steel shod vehicles such as carts. They can become slippery so not good for rubber tyred traffic.
They don't develope potholes and can be re layed without extra expense of new setts - great for roads which are regularly dug up.
They look better.
They are crap to cycle on.

By synchronous happenstance (or summat), I saw these shaped stone objects revealed yesterday, whilst some road re-surfacing was being carried out. The road crosses the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, so I should think they may have been there since at least then (late 18th century); probably tarmaced over in the 20th c.
Hard wearing's probably as good a reason as any, and if you're using local materials as well, it's a win-win( as they didn't say at the time). There are a lot of stone quarry workings here in West Lancs.

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colin54 wrote: ↑16 Nov 2021, 11:59am By synchronous happenstance (or summat), I saw these shaped stone objects revealed yesterday, whilst some road re-surfacing was being carried out. The road crosses the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, so I should think they may have been there since at least then (late 18th century); probably tarmaced over in the 20th c.
Hard wearing's probably as good a reason as any, and if you're using local materials as well, it's a win-win( as they didn't say at the time).
P1150903 (2).JPG
P1150907 (3).JPG
There are a lot of stone quarry workings here in West Lancs.

I guess those are technically setts rather than cobbles, but I'm not sure. They're not flush but they're clearly not random rough stones either. Anybody?

Bmblbzzz wrote: ↑16 Nov 2021, 1:04pm

colin54 wrote: ↑16 Nov 2021, 11:59am By synchronous happenstance (or summat), I saw these shaped stone objects revealed yesterday, whilst some road re-surfacing was being carried out. The road crosses the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, so I should think they may have been there since at least then (late 18th century); probably tarmaced over in the 20th c.
Hard wearing's probably as good a reason as any, and if you're using local materials as well, it's a win-win( as they didn't say at the time).
P1150903 (2).JPG
P1150907 (3).JPG
There are a lot of stone quarry workings here in West Lancs.

I guess those are technically setts rather than cobbles, but I'm not sure. They're not flush but they're clearly not random rough stones either. Anybody?

They're squared off... so they're setts.

Jonathan

I referenced Alston earlier in the thread and I see they have recently reinstated some. https://www.cwherald.com/news/alstons-c ... completed/
Note the headline "cobbles" and text "setts". They are setts but most people in conversation will say cobbles.
A couple of posts refer to setts being cheaper to lay. If they are then why on earth did the contractor digging up the street reinstate with dearer tarmac.

Regarding OP question, could they be regarded as "traffic calming with beauty"?

Are setts and cobbles the same thing?

mattheus wrote: ↑16 Nov 2021, 2:05pm Are setts and cobbles the same thing?

No, setts are worked to be uniform(-ish) in shape and size, cobbles are more random.

Jdsk wrote: ↑16 Nov 2021, 1:08pm

Bmblbzzz wrote: ↑16 Nov 2021, 1:04pm

colin54 wrote: ↑16 Nov 2021, 11:59am By synchronous happenstance (or summat), I saw these shaped stone objects revealed yesterday, whilst some road re-surfacing was being carried out. The road crosses the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, so I should think they may have been there since at least then (late 18th century); probably tarmaced over in the 20th c.
Hard wearing's probably as good a reason as any, and if you're using local materials as well, it's a win-win( as they didn't say at the time).
P1150903 (2).JPG
P1150907 (3).JPG
There are a lot of stone quarry workings here in West Lancs.

I guess those are technically setts rather than cobbles, but I'm not sure. They're not flush but they're clearly not random rough stones either. Anybody?

They're squared off... so they're setts.

Jonathan

Thanks.

Talking of squared off, there are a couple of streets in Bristol where in the past few years the setts have been dug up, sliced in half to leave a flat, smooth surface, and relaid in that fashion. These are quite pleasant to ride or walk on, but time will tell how long they remain smooth.

colin54 wrote: ↑16 Nov 2021, 11:59am By synchronous happenstance (or summat), I saw these shaped stone objects revealed yesterday, whilst some road re-surfacing was being carried out. The road crosses the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, so I should think they may have been there since at least then (late 18th century); probably tarmaced over in the 20th c.
Hard wearing's probably as good a reason as any, and if you're using local materials as well, it's a win-win( as they didn't say at the time).
P1150903 (2).JPG
P1150907 (3).JPG
There are a lot of stone quarry workings here in West Lancs.

Is that Wheat Lane, Lathom?
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.59477 ... 312!8i6656
The pub called the Ship Inn is just round the corner. Been there loadsa times.
The local name for the place used to be The Blood Tub ........... can't remember why. Something to do with slaughtermen I think.

Sedbergh re-laid setts down the whole main Street at great expense then tarmacked them all over again cos the locals complained at the noise.

Mick F wrote: ↑16 Nov 2021, 2:56pm Is that Wheat Lane, Lathom?
The pub called the Ship Inn is just round the corner. Been there loadsa times.
The local name for the place used to be The Blood Tub ........... can't remember why. Something to do with slaughtermen I think.

No it's not Mick, you've obviously been away from your old home village too long ; it's Back Lane, Newburgh !
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.59023 ... 6?hl=en-GB
(The crossing gates in my first picture have been modernised since the street view picture).
Funnily enough, I was down Wheat Lane this afternoon and there is an original cobbled section ( 'settled section' doesn't sound right ! ), the other side of the bridge from your Google Maps view.
Here :-
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.59519 ... 6?hl=en-GB
They want re-laying really, they're uneven and require a good bit of care if it's wet as they're on bit of a slope.

Here's a stone I picked up when a street was being resurfaced years ago, (though I'd let it lie nowadays). I'd call it a cobble it has a flat base but doesn't look like it's been worked, from a town with very ancient roads indeed. The only hard stones in the area were flints. The Great North Rd crosses The Icknield Way here so the line of the roads at least, date back to Roman times at least and probably before.

colin54 wrote: ↑16 Nov 2021, 11:59am By synchronous happenstance (or summat), I saw these shaped stone objects revealed yesterday, whilst some road re-surfacing was being carried out. The road crosses the Leeds & Liverpool Canal, so I should think they may have been there since at least then (late 18th century); probably tarmaced over in the 20th c.

When they are re-surfacing my road, or when the tarmac coating wears through in areas, you can see the original cobbles beneath. It was a cattle droving road leading to the old cattle market in Islington by the Angel, so also has elevated pavements with railings. There seems to be real problems getting the tarmac coating to stick to the cobbles as it's forever crumbling away, particularly at junctions, and needing re-patching.

I pass through Alston on my cycle to Scotland every year and always dread the cobbles, particularly if it's wet. Even walking down the High Street in cycling shoes is risky due to the gradient. It might look quaint but it's frankly plain dangerous.