More wood block paving in London

Earlier this year I pulled together a collection of images showing areas of road and pavements where I have discovered patches of wood block surfaces, see here.

Well, I've found another one and two of my contemporaries have spotted others. All three are where small sections of wood remain within removable metal sections, such as man hole covers.

Ian Visits recently posted on his Instagram page that he found this one on the corner of Redcross Way in Southwark Street:

The wood blocks here are really large here; possibly the largest pieces I have seen as each takes up half of each quadrant and look to be cut specifically for this man hole cover. 

Dave Brown alerted me to a grid of wood that he spotted in Leo Yard, a little alley off Clerkenwell Road:

It's very unusual – Dave's pic here seems to indicate that it's a lightwell (for letting light down into a basement area) that has later been in-filled with wood. This little courtyard is not googlestreetview-able so I need to go and check it out for myself – I will then update this post with some alternative photos.

And, finally, my own find. Having walked up an down St John Street from Angel to Barbican many many times over the decades, I am surprised that it took me until September 2021 to notice this beauty at the junction of Spencer Street, between The City University buildings and the Spa Green Estate:

Update August 2023: I have set up a London A-Z Directory of Woodblocks. If you can add to the list, please leave a comment under this blog post or email me at jane@janeslondon.com

Unusual light wells and coal holes

Earlier this year I stopped in my tracks outside 258 Pentonville Rd, when I happened upon a very unusual light well running the full width of the shop.
I say 'unusual' because it's got coal hole cover plates embedded within it (one at each end) and this was the first of this kind I have ever seen.

Ironwork and glass made by The British Luxfer Prisms company

Further sleuthing on Google Streetview shows the reason I hadn't ever noticed it before – it's been covered up for at least ten years, and this also explains its rusty condition.
And then last month I found another one in Birchin Lane a narrow street that joins Cornhill to Lombard Street in The Square Mile. Half way along, near Cowper Court, I happened upon a simpler [later?] combo with glass bricks embedded into concrete.

Made by Haywards Ltd

And then, can you believe it, I found another one – this time just off Cloth Fair. And here's me thinking I am observant yet I have been marching past these for decades! This particular site has even has some light wells arranged as the steps into the building (I had already spotted that though!).

It's amazing how interesting and diverse these light wells can be. At the junction of Jewry Street/India Street in EC3 there some examples with lovely horse motifs on them which, again, is something I haven't seen elsewhere, though, judging by the cole-hole-light-well-combos I will probably be finding more soon.

Made by the St Pancras Ironworks Company

I am not the only nerd interested in this kind of thing. See Yelfy's Faded London for more.