Causey
The second edition of The Dictionary of Urbanism by Rob Cowan, published in 2020, suggests that ‘causey’ might refer to:
- Mainly Scotland and the north of England - A street or pavement, usually one paved with cobbles rather than flags.
- A cobble.
- A causeway.
- To pave, particularly down the centre of the street. Example: ‘By [the] mid 1700s most of the streets in the Old Town were setted or “causeyed” (applied to where they were paved down the middle with drains on either side)’ (from Edinburgh Standards for Streets, 2006).
The word comes from 'causeway'.
Causey edge (Yorkshire) refers to a kerb.
Crown o' the causey (Scots) refers to: ‘The middle of the street. The 2006 guide Edinburgh Standards for Streets writes that in Edinburgh’s Old Town ‘crowns of the causeway (a ridge or crown along the centre of a road) was [sic] removed and levelled along with other subsequent improvements in the late 1700s’. ‘
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
- Asphalt.
- Bituminous mixing and laying plant.
- Britain's historic paving.
- Causeway.
- Coal holes, pavement lights, kerbs and utilities and wood-block paving.
- Glossary of paving terms.
- Code of Practice for Ironwork Systems Installation and Refurbishment.
- Hazard warning surfaces.
- Highway.
- Highway drainage.
- How to lay block paving.
- Pavement.
- Permeable pavements.
- Road paving.
- Types of road and street.
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