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.
weir. n. 1. (Civil Engineering) a low dam that is built across a river to raise the water level, divert the water, or control its flow. 2. (Angling) a series of traps or enclosures placed in a stream to catch fish. [Old English wer; related to Old Norse ver, Old Frisian were, German Wehr ].