The Old Bell and Steelyard, New Street, Woodbridge.

Image: © Chris Gunns Taken: 20 Nov 2009

From the pub website. What is a Steelyard? In times gone by it was used to weigh carts when the government of the time passed a Road Traffic Act. This was because carts were getting heavier and the steel banded wheels were becoming much thinner and damaging the road surface. The new act stated that a toll had to be paid if loads were over 2.5 tons. Local records suggest that the Steelyard was added to the original building somewhere around 1680. This steelyard was last used commercially in the 1880s. It was dismantled in 1897 and taken to London for a Victorian exhibition before being reinstated. A working model of this very steelyard can be seen in the Science Museum in London and also in the Avery Museum. Technical data... The load capacity is 3 tons (imperial). Main beam is 13feet long and mainly forged from iron. The counterweight weighed 108lbs and was made of lead. Steelyards died out as modern drive on / drive off weighbridges were invented. This steelyard is 1 of only two complete steelyards left in the country, the second is in Soham near Cambridge which is said to have raised an elephant in the 1880s.

Images are licensed for reuse under creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0