[Report 1920] / Medical Officer of Health, Margate Borough.
- Margate (England). Borough Council.
- Date:
- 1920
Licence: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Credit: [Report 1920] / Medical Officer of Health, Margate Borough. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![General Information. Til© population of Margate at the Census in Population. March, 1911, was 27,086. Garlinge, Northdown and part of St. Peter’s Extra were included in the Borough in November, 1912. With this addition and the natural yearly increase I now estimate the population to be 30,000 to 32,000. For a large part of the year, owing to the influx of visitors and invalids, the population is manifestly from 10 to 20 ])er cent, higher than is officially estimated, and for a few weeks during the height of the season probably exceeds 100,000. The Borough of Margate extends over an area Physical Features of 2,961 acres, which includes 468 acres of fore- and General shore. The town follows the coast-line which. Characteristics of faces North-East, North and North-West, the District. Situated at the N.E. corner of Kent it is exposed to all sea breezes from all quarters except the West. The sub-soil is chalk, which is a very healthy sub-soil, and the town is divided by two valleys, viz., The Dane and Tivoli Valleys. Owing to these valleys, the chalky sub-soil and the general undulations of the ground levels, the town is exceptionally favoured as regards surface drainage, and it is a notable fact that even after the heaviest rainfall the roads become dry in a very short time. The streets, except in the lower and older parts of the town, are very well laid out, and there are numerous large open spaces, the sea breezes are thus able to circulate freely in all parts of the town. It is not improbable that the large area of foreshore with its sand and seaweed-covered rocks adds materially to the salubrity of the air when the wind sets in from the sea. Average .annual sunshine, 1,000 hours. Mean tein])era- ture for the year, 50.1. Margate being essentiallv a Health and Pleasure Social Besort, the occupation of a great majority of the Conditions. inhabitants is directly and indirectly associated with the catering for visitors to the town, con¬ sequently a large proportion of the houses of all sizes are used in the season as lodging-houses or boarding-houses. In many of the houses, especially the smaller ones, there is unfortunately, during five or six weeks of the year, a tendency to overcrowding. This is mitigated to a certain extent by the bracing air and the fact that the visitors spend most of the day enjoying themselves on the sea-front. It is unquestionable, however, that many of the children attending our Elementary Schools are seriously neglected during the season owing to the fact that the parents will not, or cannot, look after them as they should do and cater for visitors at the same time.](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b29788316_0005.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
