Lewes Boot Scrapers

Have you ever spotted those weird little metal things sunken into the walls of Georgian houses and wondered what they are? They look like miniature fire-places, don’t they? In the days before the motor car and when travel was really only possible either on your own two feet or by those of a horse, the state of the walkways was dreadful. The roads were barely paved and where they were, dirt, mud and other animal waste collected in sloppy piles. Consequently, one’s foot attire became encrusted with plenty of unwanted crap. The last thing any respectable gentleman, or gentle woman for that matter, wanted to do was to bring this putrid soil into their expensive households or spread the filth on their exotic carpets. Behold, the boot-scraper; a cunning little wrought iron device adorning the exterior of the house, at ground level and close to the front door – the perfect gadget to remove this unwanted muck.

In another of the mini-series episodes on my new Youtube channel, I am in the rural county town of Lewes, in East Sussex, on the search for a boot-scraper and another oddities from our heritage. It is amazing t see what is still out there,  left alone and for all to discover if we open out eyes. Originally, the footage appeared in the full length documentary about the town and shown on the Community Channel, but knowing that not everyone has time to watch these long format videos, I have pulled out interesting moments and repackaging them into shorter films. I do hope you will like them. There is unseen footage too – so you get a bonus as well.

Do go and check out the channel, if you have time and please, don’t forget to subscribe. Many thanks.

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