Timber Setts – The Wooden Roads of the 1800s
A Quieter, Safer Urban Surface
Timber setts were a common paving choice throughout the 19th century, used extensively in urban areas to reduce the intense noise created by iron-rimmed cart wheels and horse hooves on stone surfaces. The method for using timber setts as a road surface originally came from Russia and France. Made from hard-wearing woods such as English oak, Elm, slow-grown Norwegian pine, and Australian Jarrah, these setts were often soaked in creosote for added durability.
They were especially useful near docks and in bustling city centres where sparks from metal rims could pose a fire risk – timber provided a safer surface for horses and a quieter, alternative to natural stone.
Construction and Decline
Timber setts were installed on a compacted base of crushed stone or hardcore, followed by a sand or lime mortar laying course. Later setts were also laid to a lime or ordinary Portland cement concrete base. The timber setts were always installed end grain facing upwards for durability.
Early installations used a running bond pattern, but the structurally superior herringbone pattern soon became popular. The setts—typically 150–300mm long and up to 250mm deep, more commonly 150mm, however—were laid grain-up and compacted with rollers. Historical records show that hexagonal setts were also made and installed. Sadly, I can’t find picture evidence or anywhere they can be found. Old records site The Old Bailey as having hexagonal setts laid.
Jointing was done using sand, bitumen, pitch, or tar, creating a watertight, locked-in finish. In some cases, a fine aggregate was added to the joint, and hot pitch was poured in. But over time, timber setts required high maintenance.
Timber setts were often coated in tar with a sand dressing to bind and add grip. This type of finish requires frequent replacement, therefore proving costly.
Records show experiments with a rubber surface coating were trialled. This method worked well initially, providing grip for horses and waterproofing, but it lacked longevity as the rubber wore away quickly.
The main issues with timber setts were that they absorbed moisture and became slippery when wet, creating significant safety concerns for horses when pulling heavy carts. The setts were also challenging to keep clean, maintain, and repair. Historical records, especially those from the 18th century, note that due to the setts absorbing horse excrement and urine, the stench created was nauseous and, in some instances, unbearably noxious in the summer.
Timber setts also create a fire hazard, especially with gas lamps lighting the streets and the creosote-soaked setts.
As tarmac and concrete became more accessible and reliable, timber setts gradually became obsolete.
Still, remnants of this once-ubiquitous paving material can be seen in parts of Newcastle, Ipswich, and other UK towns—testaments to an inventive period in street design and public safety.
