I moved to England from Hong Kong recently. I found that it is common to see these holes (tiny doorway arch looking thing) in front of houses. What are they?
It’s for scraping the mud off the bottoms of your shoes!
this post was submitted on 02 Jul 2023
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What is this thing?
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Oh, interesting. Is there a name for this?
I've heard there are tiny sculptures made for scraping mud off shoes. Didn't know it can be built into the entrance.
Yep, "boot-scraper" 😀
Hi OP, if you’re happy with the answers you’ve got here, could you edit your post to add [SOLVED] to the end of the title? Many thanks!
Done :)
Yeah it's for when you didn't have room for a mud room. Scrape that shit right off!
What happens when it gets full of mud
You clean it. Or wait for the rain to clean it.
Or have your boy Geoffrey scrub it out good and proper.
Are we still talking about boot scrapers?
I didn't know that area is called mud room, though I understand it's the first place into indoor where you leave shoes.
Learned one more thing! Thanks!
“Mud room” is an American thing. It’s a whole friggin room with tile floor, probably the washer/dryer, etc., usually the first room off the garage entrance in my experience. It might not translate to other countries.
They exist in Canada as well. They’re actually a great idea. You happen to be dirty? Don’t want to traipse that dirt through a clean house? Just take off your dirty clothes right there and throw them directly into the washing machine.
Also means you have a dedicated laundry room, instead of the insanity I see sometimes where it’s in the kitchen, or a bathroom, or the basement, or just hanging out in the hallway behind a door.
Absolutely disgusting to have laundry in the kitchen like in England but the bathroom is totally normal here. Like 90% of all houses here have the washer and dryer in the bathroom.
Dirt in the house isn’t a problem. I’m confident 100% of the population here don’t wear shoes inside the house
I love in Scotland and people in rural areas often have mud rooms.
It’s to scrape your boots.
It was an important feature during the times where the streets were littered with horse poop and more.
Gnomes
Sometimes they're the old coal chutes, to load up the cellar.
What is this, a coal chute for ants? 😀
I think you've zoomed in a little too much..