Error on manhole cover from 1907 becomes talking point this week

A rather unfortunate spelling mistake - made more than a century ago - became a talking point on social media this week.

The error was spotted on a manhole cover from the early 1900s at Sand Historic House in Sidbury.

A picture of the Edwardian cover, which was made in 1907, on one of the access drives to the predominantly Elizabethan property, was posted on the venue’s Twitter account.

It reads ‘Sidmouht Foundry’ instead of ‘Sidmouth’.

Stephen Huyshe-Shires, who is a joint custodian at Sand with his wife Stella, said: “It is not the sort of thing you expect to find - you expect the spelling on such things to be correct.

“We have known about it for some time.

“I have always thought of it as a Friday afternoon job.”