Victorian soil vent pipe grille - tiny key attached??

[Francfalco]

Hi all,

Painting the front area of my Victorian terrace house over the weekend, and a perfect time to replace the above grille that has been broken for years.

However, when i finally managed to dig through the rusted screws and get it off i noticed behind the grille was a tiny little key attached to the back of the grille?

My 2 small children said it belongs to the houses 'Borrowers' and i should put it back immediately!, but i'm sure there is another real world explanation, but for the life of me i have no idea?

Anyone here have any thoughts, i'm really intrigued!

On a side note, i'm sure you can buy replacement grilles, but i've just bought a desktop 3D printer and as a little project i'm going to model this piece and print a replacement!

Cheers

Vent grille

• Francfalco
• 10 Nov 2014
• 2

Vent grille tiny key

• Francfalco
• 10 Nov 2014
• 2

 

[JBR]

Your children are quite correct. Many houses have Borrowers. Certainly, I know we have some, as that is the only explanation for all the things of ours that have gone missing over the years.

 

[securespark]

I think your family of Borrowers have outgrown your house and "emigrated" down the road to mine.

I can never find anything either...

 

[cajar]

master key or key for a side window in case the homeowner got locked out? bit more inventive than sticking it under a plant pot

 

[Dave54]

I thought "money box key" when I saw it, but could be anything. Cajar may have it right.
Spare / emergency key for something. Possibly the borrowers front door?
I'd re-attach it to the new cover. Give someone else a mystery in 100 years time! (and anyway don't want to lock the borrowers out!)

 

[Francfalco]

Nope, i'm sure it aint a Borrowers key - they don't exist.

And i don't think its a master or window key, unless its for the Borrower's front door - oh, just remembered, they don't exist!

Please, someone must know the answer/reason

Google has failed me - this is driving me crazy...

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Yea Borrowers I reckon too

 

[Dave54]

Just to throw this one in. It's not a handcuff key is it? It looks a bit like some of the ones online, and that offset loop is unusual. Why, or how it would end up there though I can't think.

 

[Francfalco]

liking all the suggestions forum, but we're not there yet!

Cant imagine a handcuff key... why handcuffs? why behind the grille?

I'm thinking, if its original, maybe some quaint Victorian building superstition thing?

Any Historians out there?

 

[Dave54]

liking all the suggestions forum, but we're not there yet!

Cant imagine a handcuff key... why handcuffs? why behind the grille?

I'm thinking, if its original, maybe some quaint Victorian building superstition thing?

Any Historians out there?

Perhaps the borrowers are into that sort of thing. But (semi) seriously, if a copper lived there and wanted a safe place to keep a spare key. It seems a weird place to keep any key really. Not easy to undo the screws after a year or 10. Found and heard about people finding all sorts in the walls of old houses. Shoes, and other bits and pieces sometimes. Done for luck in the past. A lot of people put them back. Never heard of putting a key into a place though.

 

[jockscott]

Just to throw this one in. It's not a handcuff key is it? It looks a bit like some of the ones online, and that offset loop is unusual. Why, or how it would end up there though I can't think.

Perhaps the original Victorian owner locked his missus up in the cellar? (or had a bondage fetish)

 

[longdogs]

What's intriguing is that is attached to a fixed ring so it is obviously meant to be there. I was thinking maybe some kind of old lockable soil pipe access door? I also tried google but found nothing.

Btw, would be interested to see the results of your 3D printing. Perhaps you can post a pic when it is done.

 

[masona]

liking all the suggestions forum, but we're not there yet!

Cant imagine a handcuff key... why handcuffs? why behind the grille?

I'm thinking, if its original, maybe some quaint Victorian building superstition thing?

Any Historians out there?

Try here http://www.periodproperty.co.uk/ppuk_discovering_agony_uncle_enquiries.php

 

[Nige F]

It`s not a key at all - It`s one hinge of the mica flap that hung down inside the cover to act as a Victorian AAV There is a small hole where the other one was fixed

 

[bernardgreen]

Perhaps the original Victorian owner locked his missus up in the cellar? (or had a bondage fetish)

Could be the key for a chastity belt. Kept in a safe place for him to use when he returned from his travels.