The Spikes seem to have been set up around the begining of the 20th century by some official body - the Ministry of Works perhaps?- to facilitate navvies who would be on the tramp looking for work .The original idea behind them was that they would be within a day's tramp of each other . This is according to my father who came from very near Kiltimagh and started work in England in 1929 . He thought that the word may have been Irish - he never met anyone other than Irish people in them he said.

They may have cleaned up their act before Paddywhack arrived ,but in the thirties Spikes were apparantly places to avoid - unlike the Rowton Houses which served a similar function but were considered cleaner.

I think Paddywhack was right in his use of the word "shackle" in the singular when referring to the stew . The word "spikes" on the other hand was always -at least in my recollection - used with an 's' on the end as if it was plural. Martin , how do you think the word would be spelt if it was Irish ?