Recently went for a stroll around Ulley Country Park and noticed some small concrete pads on the top of the retaining embankment at the western side of the reservoir.

They are around 200mm in size with a round headed coach bolt set into them, painted white and spaced at about every 10 metres.

I know its not very important and my life won't be anymore fullfilled by finding out but its really been bugging me as to what they are for. I wondered if maybe they are some sort of reference points for water level or just indicators marking the locations of piles for the retainig structure.

Can anyone put me out my misery?

PS. I'm not usually this sad but its really niggling me now.

if they are what i think they are,they are to do with................ let u stew abit more lol

Originally posted by sheffieldcpl
if they are what i think they are,they are to do with................ let u stew abit more lol

Cheers..........should i have expected anything else?

Electricity Pylon?

Originally posted by desy
Electricity Pylon?

No, nothing overhead.

how about survey points

Originally posted by davyboy
how about survey points

Could be but there's about a dozen of them along a straight line of around 120 metres so not sure what the survey could be all about. Recently repainted by the look of things too.

Are they for tying boats to?

Originally posted by MrH
Are they for tying boats to?

Errr......no.

i might be wrong but if they are the ones im thinking of,like at dam flask my dad told me they are what they used in the war to have some kind of straps to stop the german bombings like we did to them, if theyre the same concrete platforms im thinking about.

They're only quite small.....more like markers rather than something for attaching to.

I don't know about these things but 200mm sounds pretty small. Could they be anglers' peg markers?

Originally posted by Fishpole
I don't know about these things but 200mm sounds pretty small. Could they be anglers' peg markers?

No they are too far from the water.

Any chance of a photo or three?

tank traps to stop a water borne invasion from Rotherham?

and why would Rotherham folk wanting to be getting wet?

Wet = clean.

Heavens above, you're safe there. :hihi:

They are markings to tell you where abouts the pegs are for you to fish from :)

Originally posted by Kirsty_87
They are markings to tell you where abouts the pegs are for you to fish from :)

At first i thought that but they don't coincide with the fishing pegs and the one at the end of the embankment must be a good 20 metres from the water.

That one'll be for the aquaphobic bloke with the 20 metre rod.

support posts for a structure that once stood? ie platform

Originally posted by alpal
support posts for a structure that once stood? ie platform

Not really big enough and the layout is just linear and runs for about 100m.

I can see that this is going to be one of lifes unsolved mysteries. :(

I think they are " Tethering Posts " for moonlight naughties...:heyhey:

Originally posted by cruella
I think they are " Tethering Posts " for moonlight naughties...:heyhey:

You would!!!

Care to join me? :heyhey: :hihi: :heyhey: :hihi:

.....Cilla...get to that hat shop !

Originally posted by cruella
.....Cilla...get to that hat shop !

PMSL :clap:

We'd have a lorra lorra laughs though!!

Highly likely reference points...............to measure if there is any movement on the bank using a theodolight
...this was what i was told anyway.

Originally posted by the_rudeboy
I wondered if maybe they are some sort of reference points

Good guess the_rudeboy

Maybe they're part of a massive "dot-to-dot" puzzle, only visible from high altitudes??

I got it............they're ancient ley lines used by the aztecs during ritual sacrifices

Originally posted by RazorSHarp
I got it............they're ancient ley lines used by the aztecs during ritual sacrifices

They're not that ancient cos the reservoir wasn't created until 1874. :hihi:

But tha Aztecs had a council house near there didn't they?

Originally posted by Don_Kiddick
But tha Aztecs had a council house near there didn't they?

Yeah but that was in Aston in .............ROTHERHAM :hihi: :clap: :hihi: :clap: :hihi:

Dams are routinely and periodically monitored for signs of settlement and bulging. This is by visual inspection but may also include instrument monitoring. The round topped stations are for monitoring changes in elevation of the dam crest using an optical level. These days reflective targets for laser or microwave survey instruments are more often used. I expect that since the recent alarm over the condition of this dam the stations are being monitored rather frequently. Dams are supervised by a 'panel' engineer - dams are one of the few engineering structures where a formal inspection regime is required by law.

Thats just answered something i have been pondering on for a while, some here on the side of Broomhead Reservoir (http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k265/SteveSheff/editbhres.jpg) dam wall.
Thanks groundhog. :thumbsup:

Dams are routinely and periodically monitored for signs of settlement and bulging. This is by visual inspection but may also include instrument monitoring. The round topped stations are for monitoring changes in elevation of the dam crest using an optical level. These days reflective targets for laser or microwave survey instruments are more often used. I expect that since the recent alarm over the condition of this dam the stations are being monitored rather frequently. Dams are supervised by a 'panel' engineer - dams are one of the few engineering structures where a formal inspection regime is required by law.

Bit spooky. We were just talking about this at work and someone who used to inspect the dam said just that. :)

You should feel honoured, Rudeboy. Groundhog has been researching the answer to that since August 2005. :)

You should feel honoured, Rudeboy. Groundhog has been researching the answer to that since August 2005. :)
Can't have, groundhog has only just joined the forum if you look.:wink:
Think we should all say welcome to groundhog :)

Can't have, groundhog has only just joined the forum if you look.:wink:
Think we should all say welcome to groundhog :)

Course he could have.

He/She wasn't a member when they read the topic and decided to research it, then found the answer, joined the forum and told us miserable lot. :)

I noticed this thread was linked from the Wikipedia article about Ulley. I guess that's why it's come back from the depth of the forum in recent days.

I noticed this thread was linked from the Wikipedia article about Ulley. I guess that's why it's come back from the depth of the forum in recent days.
That sounds a bit like a horror story, " The Monster That Came From The Depths Of Ulley Reservoir " ... Wicked, never saw that one Andy :hihi:

railings,?or what used to be railings until sawn off for the war effort ?

railings,?or what used to be railings until sawn off for the war effort ? No, reference points for determining any vertical movement in the embankment.

Recently went for a stroll around Ulley Country Park and noticed some small concrete pads on the top of the retaining embankment at the western side of the reservoir.

They are around 200mm in size with a round headed coach bolt set into them, painted white and spaced at about every 10 metres.

I know its not very important and my life won't be anymore fullfilled by finding out but its really been bugging me as to what they are for. I wondered if maybe they are some sort of reference points for water level or just indicators marking the locations of piles for the retainig structure.

Can anyone put me out my misery?

PS. I'm not usually this sad but its really niggling me now.
Just wanted to say I set those out.. and I am amused by all the answers some sort of correct some should be correct cause they are so funny... :)

Just wanted to say I set those out.. and I am amused by all the answers some sort of correct some should be correct cause they are so funny... :)

Thanks for clearing that up then, mate. :thumbsup: