Any ideas?

[wilfandrowlf]

I think it's a metal plaque with the number forty three on it.
HTH

[Upatdawn]

wilfandrowlf said:

I think it's a metal plaque with the number forty three on it.
HTH

what makes you think that?

[CedGTV]

Upatdawn said:

wilfandrowlf said:

I think it's a metal plaque with the number forty three on it.
HTH

what makes you think that?

I think the 4 before the 3 give it away.........

[Ray Luxury-Yacht]

It's an Aster weed plant.

[StuntmanMike]

What canal is it? And that will be bridge 43, not 43 valve thingy.

[kowalski655]

White paint I reckon,not clear if its Dulux or Crown from the picture

[Puggit]

Not sure, but is this you?

[mildmannered]

kowalski655 said:

White paint I reckon,not clear if its Dulux or Crown from the picture

No, I reckon it's calcification/efflorescence

[john2443]

The topmost bit - tapered square stub - is for fitting a handle on to turn it, so it's a valve? for something, can't work out what though.

[BristolRich]

Gas valve for gas lighting?

[sday12]

Seagull baffled

[38911]

Flux capacitor dispenser. Became obsolete in 1984, hence rusty.

They go for quite a premium on eBay.

[theshrew]

BristolRich said:

Gas valve for gas lighting?

I have 2 big long canal tunnels near where I live and I don't think they have ever had lights in them
( although I might be wrong ) if its just a bridge you have no need for lights in them so doubt that to.

[AJS-]

No idea, but I like these threads.

[Urban Sports]

I know exactly where it is and I know exactly what it is!

[Roverload]

Tow hitch, I believe that canal was a very secretive portable prototype, can be moved anywhere, if you rig a few shire horses up to it and give it a good pull and get back to us...

[Impasse]

Four canal. How strange.

[theshrew]

Im sure I've seen something like that before and some of the bridges / tunnels around here are made out of that colour brick.

Like someone else said that looks like the bit on the top if for turning something.

We need some Fred Dibnah type to solve this one I think

[mybrainhurts]

Urban Sports said:

I know exactly where it is and I know exactly what it is!

[BlasterBates]But FFS, tell us who it is[/BlasterBates}

[TheEnd]

john2443 said:

The topmost bit - tapered square stub - is for fitting a handle on to turn it, so it's a valve? for something, can't work out what though.

Yep, same fixing as on a water stopcock, which is what it is likely to be related to somehow.