It was considered dÃ©classÃ© to refer to one's own townhouses, estates or villas (or those of friends) as mansions and modern etiquette books still advise that the terms house, big house or great house be used instead.
Waste weir. A waste weir on a navigable canal is a slatted gate on each canal level or pound, to remove excess water and to drain the canal for repairs or for the winter shutdown.
VI. Guidelines for Designing & Operating Weirs 1. The weir should be set at the lower end of a long pool sufficiently wide and deep to give an even, smooth flow 2. The centerline of the weir notch should be parallel to the direction of the flow 3.