What is that pole in the Castle Sands pool?

[inshaala]

I think the title says it all really - but i am stumped - i checked the photo archives for evidence of a diving board or set of stairs and that was fairly inconclusive, i even had a read through a copy of St Andrews - A History and Celebration hopeing to get some snippet of info. Anyone got any knowledge or ideas?



[hr]

Ich will dass ihr mich versteht

[munchingfoo]

Do you have a photograph of the pole?

[hr]

“ When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading”

[inshaala]

hang on i'll put one up on photobucket and link it. But i would hope you know what i mean without a photo... it's like a landmark... or something...

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Ich will dass ihr mich versteht

[Al]

I always presumed it was part of a sluice.

[inshaala]

[hr]

Ich will dass ihr mich versteht

[inshaala]

Not the best quality of photo but the top of the pole is threaded and that seems to be some kind of "nut" threaded onto it, which makes me think that something was put on top of it and another nut screwed down to keep whatever was put on top attached.

[hr]

Ich will dass ihr mich versteht

[Traveller]

It was part of the sluice that allowed the pool to be drained. Until a few years ago it was still upright and attached to the end wall.

[Mr Comedy]

Damn. I thought it was some sort of aquatic pole-dancing setup.

[hr]

"I am in no way interested in immortality, but only in the taste of tea. " -Lu Tung

[inshaala]

Quoting Traveller from 13:31, 25th Apr 2008
It was part of the sluice that allowed the pool to be drained. Until a few years ago it was still upright and attached to the end wall.

Any references for that? or photos? (just want to see for myself really and "understand" it)... is it the lever then to open the sluice?

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Ich will dass ihr mich versteht

[Fawksie]

Argh. I have a strong dislike of any bits of mechanical paraphernalia in bodies of water. Sluice gates, reservoir valve towers, buoys, lightships... they all give me the willies.

[Tryptophan]

Heh, specially for you Fawksie. The Monticello Dam

IMAGE:wired.st-and.ac.uk/~minotaur/monticello_dam_1.jpg

IMAGE:wired.st-and.ac.uk/~minotaur/monticello_dam_2.jpg

[Amorphous]

Quoting Tryptophan from 20:40, 25th Apr 2008
Heh, specially for you Fawksie. The Monticello Dam

That thing looks like it was designed SPECIFICALLY to scare the shit out of people. I'm creeped out just looking at the pictures, and unlike Fawksie I don't have a thing about objects in water!

It's the way it just opens up in the middle of nothing, like a bottomless pit or the mouth of Hell or something. :-/

It's also got 'deathtrap' written all over it, but I guess that's why it's surrounded by barbed wire. Come to think of it, I guess all dams are pretty dangerous things to have lying about...

[hr]

If Jack Bauer was put in a room with Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler and Nina Myers and handed a gun with two bullets, he'd shoot Nina twice.

[Fawksie]

Haha, cheers! Strangely enough glory holes (no sniggers) are one of the few things that don't creep me out. I reckon my fear stems from my dad forcing me to walk on the Seagahan Dam wall in Armagh as a kid, and making joking attempts to push me in. I was afraid of being sucked down the wall

[Al]

Quoting inshaala from 13:46, 25th Apr 2008
Any references for that? or photos? (just want to see for myself really and "understand" it)... is it the lever then to open the sluice

I've got a photo of it. Well, it's of the castle but it's just about possible to make out the "pole" at the end of the pool.

[M]

Speaking of this why are there 3 open ocean pools in St. Andrews (or at least the remains of them.) You really think that that is a few to many right?
And the two behind the aquarium are like connected to each other with the newest of all three (still has tiling on the floor) is the one further out.

[Al]

The pool at Castle Sands was used by men. The one on the other side of the castle was for women. Step Rock pool was originally for men but women started using it as well. The complex was extended in the 1930s.

[iab2]

Cool, I have always wondered about them too. I had thought it was something to do with the aquarium but that would make more sense.

Thank you Sinner-folk for educating me once again!

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http://www.usefilm.com/photographer/104233.html

[Thackary]

The Sinner (and people who use it) - actually useful!

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