We had an intriguing find on the Heath after our last Action Day. Ivy was cut back from some trees and in one location, near the top end of Heath Farm Lane, it was found to have been concealing, instead of wood, a steel post set in the ground. Not ordinary angle-iron or
‘ T ‘- section, but a piece of rail line and more specifically, tram line (photos 1 and ‘Read More’ below 2 and 3).
The purpose of an isolated post was not apparent and a search along the length of Heath Farm Lane uncovered a group of four more, all ivy-covered, where Heath Farm Lane meets the Harpenden Road. Two were lengths of RSJ (‘H ‘-section rolled steel joist), the others, more tram rail. In both locations the posts are set back a couple of metres from the lane edge.
It seems that whatever the purpose of the posts the material for them had very likely been obtained from a metal scrapyard (they are oxy-acetylene cut) and presumably a local one. Why tram line off-cuts would be in a local yard, when Hertfordshire has never had any trams as far as we know, remains to be explained. Possibly a contractor had material left over from work further afield.
Can anyone throw any light on this discovery or offer any suggestions (to rogerm@bernardsheath.org) ?
RM