Survey Data
Reg No
50070506
Rating
Regional
Categories of Special Interest
Artistic, Social, Technical
Previous Name
Richmond Penitentiary/Saint Brendan's Hospital
Original Use
Weighbridge/weighhouse
Date
1920 - 1925
Coordinates
314696, 235234
Date Recorded
14/11/2012
Date Updated
--/--/--
Description
Cast-iron weighbridge, dated 1922, comprising platform with embossed lettering to each end, set within cast-iron frame to cobbled footpath to front of former Richmond Penitentiary.
Appraisal
This interesting and unusual piece of street furniture is an important reminder of the industrial and commercial heritage of the area. Such an ornate and technically significant structure within its context is of interest, as many such structures have been removed. It is artistically appealing due to the treatment of the ironwork. Weighbridges are often found at markets, but are also used to weigh vehicles at prisons and other institutions before and after the delivery of supplies, to ensure that the correct load was delivered, and in the case of prisons, that no prisoners were hiding in vehicles. W.M. is marked on the 1907 Ordnance Survey map, indicating that this was a replacement for an earlier weighing machine.