There must be billions of them in the world. We pass them every day. We walk on them. We do not take any notice of them. They are heavy, and usually made of cast iron. They come in many different shapes, sizes and patterns. Look, and you will find them everywhere.
What are they? MANHOLE COVERS, that provide access to local service systems such as water, electricity, gas, and telecommunications.
Post photos of any interesting ones you find here.
Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)
a "square" from Athens:
May 31, 2021
Carien van Hest
Found in the region of the Ardèche, France
May 31, 2021
Heleen de Vaan
Dutch city of Groningen:
and Dutch city (forgot which), picture taken in 2019:
May 31, 2021
Valentine Mark Herman
Thanks Heleen, Carien and Katerina -- your Manhole Covers do help to kick-start the Group.
Yes, send photos, and only photos, unless you can afford the postage on a lot of heavy metal (and a possible fine for stealing a Cover, and damages to people who fell in the uncoverd hole).
(Dean, aka Artist in Seine, now this could present a real challenge for you!)
Jun 1, 2021
Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)
In Thessaloniki, for underground phone cables:
Jun 1, 2021
Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)
Have not found any marked with 2000-2020, yet:
Jun 1, 2021
Valentine Mark Herman
Thanks, Katerina, for the square Vodafone one.
As we get more pictures of Covers, it will be interesting to see if the same designs occur in different countries, or if they are country specific.
I have been thinking about the one from 1982 you sent me. How on earth do you remember what photos you took almost 40 years ago? You either have a very good memory, or a very good photo filing and cataloguing system, or both. (I can hardly remember what photos I took a couple of weeks ago!).
Do tell!
Val
Jun 1, 2021
Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)
Duh...the photos was taken on Sunday, when there are no cars on the city streets, as everyone goes to the seaside for the weekend now that we are "open". The circle sewer manhole covers in Thessaloniki are the same design, and most are stamped with a date as to the year they were placed on the road:
here is a 1995 one (at the corner of my street)
Jun 1, 2021
Carien van Hest
Found in the region of Moncarapacho, Portugal
Jun 1, 2021
Bradford
SANITARY SEWER, City of Las Vegas, D&L FDRY [Foundry]
20 OCT 2016 @ 13:44
Jun 2, 2021
Bradford
St. Louis Art Museum lawn Metro St. Louis Sewer District 02 JAN 2019 @ 16:10
Jun 2, 2021
Valentine Mark Herman
Not about a Manhole Cover, but about an' Undergtound System Sewer and Repair' business in Dublin from Mick Marsh.
Jun 3, 2021
Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)
Mellow yellow heavy metal...
and my shoe as I had to straddle by the edge of a major street!
Jun 4, 2021
Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)
and a square one or two for the water lines: EYAΘ in 2001
but before that date they were: ΟΥΘ
Jun 4, 2021
Valentine Mark Herman
Thanks Katerina. The shoe is a bonus! Don't, whatever you do, get run-over while Covering-ing. Val
Jun 4, 2021
Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)
Here is a rare metal cover for natural gas lines:
AEPIO is Greek said: "AERIO" = GAS
Jun 4, 2021
Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)
Most gas lines have now been placed under the cement tile of the sidewalks and not under the street pavements:
remember in Greek "P" is "R" :-)
Jun 4, 2021
Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)
ΕΥΑΘ...Water and Sewerage Thessaloniki, 2001:
or with summer sandal, getting hot these days :-)
Jun 5, 2021
Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)
aha! 2016...more recently the public water and sewerage service became a "Corporation" = AE:
Jun 5, 2021
Valentine Mark Herman
NORWEGIAN MANHOLE COVERS FROM ALF-OLE ASK IN OSLO
Jun 5, 2021
Valentine Mark Herman
FROM DAVID AND LOUIS HERMAN IN MAASTRICHT, THE NETHERLANDS
Jun 7, 2021
Valentine Mark Herman
TWO FROM JANE ADAMS FROM SYDNEY, NSW, AUSTRALIA
The first is rather curious as Jane was born and bred in the County of Durham, England, and lo and behold, she finds this Down Under.

Jun 7, 2021
Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)
circle and square street metal: 2004:
Jun 7, 2021
Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)
This is OTE: telephone cables underneath...
Jun 7, 2021
Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)
From a friend near Chicago: Mellow Yellow GAS
Jun 8, 2021
Valentine Mark Herman
Look at these Japanese Manhole Covers!
Some of them are amazing
Jun 8, 2021
Amy Kiessling
From Seattle - "City Light City Bright" utility cover
Jun 10, 2021
Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)
Simple "ΔΘ"
( Delta-Thita...not a fraternity)
underground works for "Dimos Thessaloniki"
Jun 11, 2021
Amy Kiessling
Jun 12, 2021
Amy Kiessling
This is artist Nathan Jackson's "Tlingit Whale".
Jun 12, 2021
Valentine Mark Herman
FOUR FROM THURSTON, ENGLAND, BY HANNAH POMMEROY
(Does anyone know how I can make these photos bigger -- the same size as the rest of them here?)
Jun 14, 2021
Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)
from 2016 Thessaloniki:
with cement seal so not to be stolen...
Jun 14, 2021
Bradford
Jun 14, 2021
Diana Hale
Unremarkable specimens found is Charlottesville, VA, USA.

Jun 14, 2021
Raphael Nadolny
Here few examples from Warsaw, Poland.IMG_20210614_145512.jpg
Jun 14, 2021
Raphael Nadolny
Jun 14, 2021
Raphael Nadolny
Jun 14, 2021
Raphael Nadolny
Jun 14, 2021
Bradford
Diana Hale posted an 8-spoke cover that is rather nice.
Jun 14, 2021
Raphael Nadolny
New examples from Warsaw, Poland.
Jun 15, 2021
Raphael Nadolny
They are also in pairs.
Jun 15, 2021
Bradford
These are from Hannah in Thurston, England
Jun 16, 2021
Raphael Nadolny
New exapmles from Warsaw taken today morning.
Jun 18, 2021
Valentine Mark Herman
These are all great Raphael -- many thanks for all your Covers!
Jun 18, 2021
Raphael Nadolny
I did not expect that there are so many of these elements in the city.Now I have become a careful observer.
Jun 18, 2021
Alan Brignull
Seen in Wivenhoe — underneath it's probably OpenReach fibre-optic but on the surface the Post Office still runs a telegraph system
Jun 18, 2021
Ilya Semenenko-Basin
The most common sewer cover. Russia.
Jun 18, 2021
Ilya Semenenko-Basin
The very first hatch of the Moscow city sewage system. A hatch was found in Moscow on the territory of the Botkin Hospital. The fact that the sewer hatches of the very first stage of the Moscow sewage system had exactly such a design, and it was launched in 1898, is indicated by a drawing from the "Atlas to the description of the sewage system of the city of Moscow. 1st stage ".
Jun 18, 2021
Raphael Nadolny
few examples from warsaw, in hot weather....
Jun 18, 2021
Ilya Semenenko-Basin
Great work of a photographer! :-)
Jun 18, 2021