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 Bedford / by William Lee, Superintending Inspector.

  • William Lee
Date:
1855
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 Bedford / by William Lee, Superintending Inspector. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Description of Borough. BEDFonr. poor IcW union comprising 44 parishes, and contains nearly- all the public and charitable institutions of the county. It will be seen that these institutions are made to have an important bearing on this inquiry. The geological character of the sub-strata is that of the lias formation, and there are beds of limestone at some depth under the town and its immediate neighbourhood. From this cause all the deep well-waters of the town are hard. In the valley of the river Ouse—which passes through the town—there is a considerable deposit of porous alluvium between the lime- stone and the surface of the ground. This alluvium contains water, called land-springs, but really only soakage water, held up by the obstructions placed across the river. A great number of the water-wells only go down into the soakage ; and more than 3,000 cesspools are said to go iato the same. The water both in- cesspools and in wells is said to rise and fall tvith the river, on the gravel substrata in the lower part of the town. The immediate site of the whole of the town may be described as fiat, and the sub-soil not only undrained, but incapable of efficient drainage by any existing jurisdiction. The town is famous for its charitable and educational institutions; and I am so far from desiring to depreciate its prosperity, that I say without hesitation, it is naturally a very healthy locality. But the truth must not be con- cealed ; and nothing could be more clearly proved than that, by municipal and other local neglect, it has been made, and is now, a very unhealthy town ; and that well considered but prompt sanitary improvements will be the most effectual way of making it a desirable place of residence, and of promoting its permanent prosperity. Population, Number of Houses, &;c. The borough of Bedford includes the five entire parishes of St. Cuthbert, St. John, St. Mary, St. Paid, and St. Peter. The aggregate area is 2,220 acres.
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