Pottery sink

[Fevs]

I recently dug a large shallow pottery sink out of the garden. I presume the previous owner of our 1860's gardeners cottage had used it as a planter and it had sunk below the surface over the years. It is extremely heavy, in fact, two of us couldn't lift it fully off the ground.
It is about 3.5' long and 2.5' wide and 8" deep. It has a drainage hole with a groove running it's length.
Three of the outer sides are fluted and one (the back?) is plain.
We were wondering what it would have been used for as it seems too shallow for a normal sink.
Also, could it have been from around the period in which our house was built?
I'd love to know your views.

 

[middi]

it is a 19th C. washing machine.

 

[MdB]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/10762965@N02/961186704
http://www.flickr.com/photos/10762965@N02/961186666
http://www.flickr.com/photos/10762965@N02/961186602

 

[Fevs]

Thanks MdB. Wasn't sure how to do that!

 

[Nemesis]

This is probably the sink from your house (scullery).

They were shallow - used for washing veg etc. Washing up would have been carried out in a bowl. Mya have been used for some washing too. Water may have been carried from a well or a pump.

I bet it was buried in the garden when removed to get rid of it, lucky it wasn't smashed up!

 

[Fevs]

Thanks for this. It's nice to get some confirmation of what we thought. Apparently there was a well shared between the three nursery cottages, but it is long gone. We found the original hearth in the back garden too. Am waiting to find the crock of gold.....(she says hopefully! ) :lol:

 

[MdB]

Thanks MdB. Wasn't sure how to do that!

You where trying to use a web page as an image which doesn't work. To link to a web page you don't need any tags (though you can use the URL tags if you want) and that it how I made the links at the top of my post. To use image tags, you have to put the URL of an image (which ends in either .jpg or .gif). To get this info from Flickr, go to your image, right click on it and select Copy Image Location from the menu (*). You can then paste this between image tags to get the image to show. I am not sure if Flickr likes deep linking so it may not always work which is why I put both the links and the images in the post.

The first image tags looks like the following:

[img]http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1333/961186704_995410c026_o.jpg[/img]

(*) If you don't have this as a menu option, go to here: http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/ download and install Firefox and don't use IE ever again. (I would also install adblock plus once you have installed Firefox)

 

[Fevs]

Thankyou! Much appreciated. I will remember that.

 

[Penners]

My grandfather's house had a scullery sink identical to this. He used it mainly for washing his wellies, his taters and the dog.

But not all together.

 

[Nemesis]

Wellies, dog, taters - in that order?

 

[Penners]

It didn't really matter. They all smelled roughly the same, anyway.

 

[chuckey]

This style of sink is called a Butlers sink. I did a lot better, when I was digging out the garth behind our house, I found a BINK! This is a humungous piece of stone, about 4' X 2' X 5" thick. This was set into the wall in a kitchen under the window. The piece of stone has a depression cut in in about 3 1/" deep with a drain hole at one end. The depresssion is trapezoidal in shape to match the window recesss.
According to a local one of these went for £300 at auction in the 70s!
Frank

 

[Fevs]

Well, we have the wellies and the dog, so two out of three 'aint bad! We were pretty certain it came from the house, as it was so heavy we couldn't imagine anyone bringing it in from somewhere else.
I have written to the previous owner to find out for definite if it did indeed come from inside. And if it did, then we will put it back in somewere and use it again. The dog is especially happy about this as he loves baths..... :shock:

 

[Nemesis]

It's a slopstone:

http://www.birchovervillage.co.uk/birchover_memories/BMHome1930s.htm

http://www.commanet.org/reflect.aspx?action=navigate&rec=5009999900015342&dir=N&spid=5009999900011780&language=english

 

[Fevs]

It does look very much like it, doesn't it! Thanks Nemesis. The dog is looking relieved already....

 

[Schoolmarm]

:shock: Thanks for that picture Ev, I think I have seen one of those in one of our fields. I can't wait until tomorrow to check.

 

[Fevs]

My sister says her friend has a few dotted around in her fields too. It's a very rural community so I guess people ripped them out of old cottages and the farmers requistioned then for water troughs and feed bowls.
Good luck if you do find it is one, although don't try and lift it on your own.... our arms are three times longer than they should be since we tried moving it!!! :lol:

 

[Penners]

The dog is looking relieved already....

Have you checked around the house for damp patches?