Back in the day, when the road was made of mud and horses the fastest mode of transportation, every respectable house would have a foot scraper inserted into its wall beside the front door. If you had the money, there might even be one in the wall by the back door too.
For those who might’ve missed it the chance to lessen the load and reduce the tonnage of mud on their heals, some proud houses might adorn the entrance hall with a further iron scraper, let loose to move from room to room.
To bring dollops of gloopy outside mud into the inside was unspeakably bad mannered, but lest we forget that to take one’s shoes off was not an option…and far worse for everyone involved.
Vestiges of a time when to go out for a walk, and get covered in debris, was part and parcel of leaving the house.