Gutters as you know them today are extremely common, especially in the UK!  They are a key feature of most buildings, commercial or residential. There was a time in history in which gutters were not so common. So where did it kick start and where can we trace this back to?

It was first the Romans who were believed to have brought the concept of rainwater management to Britain (in addition to a range of other ideas – roads for e.g.!) They also managed the water into containers for usage in washing, cleaning and cooking. Despite their impact on British buildings, most of their impact was lost after their departure from Britain around 400 AD.

There has been little record or evidence of Gutters in the UK between the Roman occupancy and the invasion of The Normans in 1066. William the Conqueror gave residency to many of his counterparts in England throughout this period. This brought about the conceptualization of gutters in England once again. There was a wave of construction in England and gutters were a pivotal part of these buildings, although they were typically made of lead.

Interestingly, the first downpipe to be recorded was installed at the Tower of London (a nice escape route for prisoners!) From then on, downpipes had become more frequently installed on buildings throughout Britain.

In the mid 16th century, King Henry and the Dissolution of the Monastries had a huge impact on guttering in England. Due to the surplus led, gutters could be made and were readily available to install on larger buildings. More prosperous families took advantage of the large ornate Hopper Heads that were dismantled from the Monastries.

Almost 2 centuries later, Cast Iron was introduced as a popular building material and was quickly adapted to suit rainwater materials. Cast Iron Guttering and Downpipes are still used frequently in modern day building and can be seen on a range of residential and commercial properties. There are a range of styles available, check out some designs at  https://www.aluminiumguttersdirect.co.uk/product-category/cast-iron/cast-iron-gutters-apex-heritage/beaded-half-round/

During and after the World War, Aluminium and Plastic became increasingly popular in building work. Today buildings are typically adourned with gutters of aluminium, cast iron and plastic.

For installation, please give us a call or drop us an email at sales@staffordrs.co.uk

To browse Aluminium and Cast Iron ranges, please see https://www.aluminiumguttersdirect.co.uk/