Gordon Square Coal Holes

Found across the city but rarely appreciated by the thousands that pass over them each day, coal holes are a remnant of the home heating that was used during the Victorian period from the early 19th to middle 20th century. Located in the pavement outside houses that existed during this time, they sit above underground coal bunkers.

During the era of coal heating, the coal hole was an important addition to a home, as it allowed coal to easily be delivered to the house. Coal typically arrived in sacks on a horse-drawn cart, and the coal hole made it possible to complete the delivery without sooty delivery men coming indoors. Instead, coal could simply be tipped through the coal hole. From the underground coal cellars, it could then be portioned to the ovens and fireplaces as needed.

The ornate hatches that covered these coal holes were typically between 12 to 14 inches in diameter, deliberately too small for a person to pass through, and most consisted of a cast iron ring set into the footpath, covered by a circular iron disc. The circular design was a clever way of preventing the covers from accidentally slipping down through their own hole.

These circular plates came in a variety of designs, sometimes containing concrete or glass elements. They usually featured a raised pattern or lettering, making them less slippery in wet weather. Each hatch had an internal latch that would prevent the cover from being removed from the outside.

While found in many neighbourhoods throughout the city, Gordon Square is home to a particularly excellent variety. Each foundry had its own design, and as the houses predated the holes, the covers were installed at different times by different companies. This means that along these streets most houses feature their own style of cover.

In Britain the coal hole fell out of use in major cities like London when the Clean Air Act of 1956 made oil and gas the preferred new methods of home heating. Now, they’ve been rendered entirely obsolete, but their value still holds when telling of London’s history.