Report to the General Board of Health on a preliminary inquiry into the sewerage, drainage, and supply of water, and the sanitary condition of the inhabitants of the borough of Newport / by George Thomas Clark, Superintending Inspector.

  • George Thomas Clark
Date:
1850
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report to the General Board of Health on a preliminary inquiry into the sewerage, drainage, and supply of water, and the sanitary condition of the inhabitants of the borough of Newport / by George Thomas Clark, Superintending Inspector. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    navigable for shipping up to the stone bridge. 'I’lic Monmouth- shire canal, from Ibecon and Pontypool, with a branch from the Ebbw, traverses the town, keeping near and parallel to the right bank of the Usk, and communicating with the dock basin. Between the basin and the old town arc numerous tramroads used in the conveyance of iron and coal. Both canal and tramroads, however important they may be to the commercial interests of the town, are not favourable to its sanitary condition. The canal checks the drainage of the town towards the river, and the tramroads, in their present condition, favour the accumulation of filth. 9. St. Woollos-hill is composed of old red sandstone ; a part of the tract which extends hither from Cardiff, and sweeps round to Abergavenny and Brecon, forming the whole valley of the Usk, and supporting the eastern and northern margins of the mineral basin. Pillgwenlly is built upon an alluvial deposit of fine mud ; and through this bed, here of great thickness, the channel of the Usk passes below the town. 10. The exports of Newport, between the 1st April, 1848, and the 1st April, 1849, were, coal, 637,088 tons ; iron, 313,950 tons; the inland or up tonnages were 201,065 tons. The docks, which were opened in 1842, include a water area of 4^ acres, with gates having a clear opening of 62 feet. The rise of spring tide is about 36 feet. Barracks have recently been erected on the north-west of the town. In conjunction with Usk and Mon- mouth, Newport returns one member to Parliament. 11. The main street of Newport extends from the bridge along the Cardiff road. All the ground upon the north side of this road is high; nearly all to the south of it is low. Much of the old and part of the new to\vn is built upon the estate of Mr. Herbert, of Llanarth, which extends along the river to the docks. The greater part of the new town is the property of Sir C. Morgan, of Tredegar. The owners of both estates let the land on building leases; the latter has let a large portion to the Tredegar Wharf Company, who are, therefore, largely interested in the prosperity of the town. 12. The natural level of the new town is from one to four feet below high-water mark spring tides, and is intersected by certain “rheens” or ditches, under the control of the Commis- sioners of the Gwent-loog Uevel, who levy rates for the main- tenance of these ditches and of the sea-bank. As the town has extended these ditches hav'^e become obstructed by house filth and street refuse, and in various ]>laces they are converted into lines of stagnant, semi-fluid offensive matter, into which, recently, it has been necessary to throw quick-lime to destroy the stench. 13. Originally, as. the tramroads w’ere extended across thi.s flat, they were formed on embankments. Advantage has been