25 Oct The Eyres 78 – The Original and Still the Best
Castings Services recently had the pleasure of supplying a number Eyres No. 78 or “Manchester Pattern” covers for a project in central Manchester.
J & S Eyres Ltd. foundry was founded in 1897 and was located in Lord North St, Miles Platting, Manchester where the locals were known as the “Tripe Colony” because many worked in the local tripe factory and live in housing provided for by the factory owners.
For the older generations, you will no doubt be familiar with Eyres No.78. A behemoth of a cover manufactured from grey iron rather than ductile and weighing in at a whopping 5 CWT (or 254kg in new money!). Yet, due to a clever self-hinged design, they could easily be opened by one operative using a long bar to hinge open the cover. You then slide the bar through the cover and, with a person either side, the cover can be carried away.
Back when the Eyres No.78 was in regular use, quality and longevity were everything. These were THE manhole cover and you will still see them all over towns and cities across the UK where they will be in perfect working order and not rattling themselves to pieces like many modern imports.
This is testament to the quality of products produced by UK manufacturers which is why Castings Services champion UK products over imported products.
For more details on the Eyres 78 or any other old style castings such as Bull Nose Kerb Gullies, Lamp Eye Covers or the ever popular Eyres No.12A Manchester Pattern Gully Grate, please call our Sales Office on 0161 745 9095 or email [email protected]
Darren Atkinson
Posted at 05:44h, 04 AugustI think my great grandfather used to work there in 1900-1914 he lived in miles platting 25 Lowe street and was an “iron turner” I’m assuming he worked here.
Diana Pritchard
Posted at 23:07h, 09 MarchI am the step daughter of Alan Eyres.
He was a wonderful man and muched loved by my mother, his brother Gordon.
Son of R. James Eyres.
I would like to purchase a drain top as a table top. I know they exist in the UK, but the only one I have ever seen was in Zanzibar??? I have photo.
Any ideas where I can purchase a J & S Eyres drain top pls.
Kind regards
DJP
Ryan Hallworth
Posted at 10:48h, 10 MarchHi Diana, we have had a bounce back from your email address, please could you email [email protected] so we can get in touch with you. Thank you.