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5
isolated country village, but owing to the extension of two
Railways, the Metropolitan, and Great Western and Great
Central Joint Line with Stations in proximity to the centre
of the village, growth has been quite rapid, plans for 81
houses and 4 shops have been sanctioned by the Council
during the year, as compared with 100 in 1912.
The nature of the land throughout the whole of the
Ruislip-Nortliwood area is clay, but in several places are
patches of sand and gravel, apparently portions of the
Reading beds. These sand and gravel beds are on
the surface in Northwood at the Golf Links, in the
village of Ruislip, and along the bed of the River Pinn
at Eastcote. It is interesting to note that upon cutting a
new road during 1911, extending south from the EastcoteRuislip
main road, just to the east of the Ruislip Parish
Schools, a bed of fine yellow sand was found at varying
depths of two to eight feet below the surface.
With these exceptions the land is stiff, heavy clay,
with a varying thickness of loam above it. This clay
holds up the water during and after wet weather, and thus
tends to make the atmosphere damp, and causes ground
mists in Autumn and Winter. It is, therefore, very
essential for the health of the dwellers upon this land that
sufficient land drainage be provided, and that existing
water courses and drains be kept open.
Houses built upon this clay are not necessarily
unhealthy, provided that the surface of the land around is