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is a very old and peculiarly built house. It consists of a basement used as a coal and
wood store, and wash-house, first floor (three rooms), second floor (three rooms), and
top floor (three rooms). One room on the top floor is registered as a common lodging
house. The house is clean and in passable repair. There are no serious sanitary
defects except that the staircase is dark and ill-ventilated owing to it being in the centre
of the house. No. 7 has a basement used as a bakehouse. It is a very old house,
curiously constructed. The first floor back is made of wood. The house is in fairly
good repair, and there are no serious sanitary defects. No. 9is sub-let. The house is
very old, the staircase dark and the roof leaky, but otherwise clean and in good repair.
" Since the houses in this group all possess large back yards and the street in
front is very open, they are, with the exceptions mentioned above, well off as regards
light, ventilation and air space back and front.
" The sixth group of houses is Gilham's Court. This consists of a long, narrow
passage running from Paradise Street (between Nos. 5 and 7) north to Rotherhithe
Street. It is about 130 yards long, and at its widest part is 8 ft. 9 in. wide. The
entrance is narrower than the court itself, varying from 4 ft. to 5 ft. wide by 52 ft. long,
and partly covered. For convenience in description, the houses naturally fall into
four groups which have similarities of structure and condition. Group 1is situated at
the north end of the court and on the east side. It consists of four rather large three-storied
houses. They are all very old and are generally badly constructed, the staircases
being especially dark and ill-ventilated through being situated in the middle of
the house. The brickwork is in fair repair. The top storey is an attic with dormer
window. It is deficient in cubic space and light. The tenants which occupy these
houses are very poor and not very clean ; but the houses are, for this class, fairly clean
and the general condition good. The roofs are tiled, and one was leaky, while the rest
showed signs of having recently been so. The ventilation, with the exception of the
staircase, is good, since these houses possess large yards varying from 15 to 20 feet in
depth. They were redrained about six months ago. The whole of the front rooms are
very dark, sinca the court here is only 8 feet wide, and the flour mill opposite is very
high.
" The second group comprises three two-storied houses, Nos. 5, 6 and 7. Judging
from their appearance these houses are much newer than the last. The brick-work is
fresh-looking, and in very good condition. Structurally they are better than the last,
but the staircases are somewhat dark, They are sub-let, and occupied by poor people.
The houses are clean. The only sanitary defects were the yard paving and condition
of the top room at No. 7, which required stripping and cleansing. The light of the
front rooms is fairly good, although the court here is only 8 feet wide, since the wall of
the mill opposite is comparatively low ; but both light and ventilation in the rear are
good since the back yards have a depth of 16 feet.
" The third group comprises twelve houses, viz., 7A to 18. It bounds the court on
the east side from the group just described to the rear of Paradise Street. Judging
from appearance, these, and the group opposite, next to be described, would appear to
be some of the oldest property adjacent to the Mill Pond. They are three-storied
houses with four rooms, viz., two ground, one first floor and one attic. The attics are
deficient in light, ventilation, and cubic space, since though the floor space is sufficient,
the tapering of the roof makes it impossible to stand up except in the centre of the
floor.
" As the court between these and the opposite houses is only 8 feet 9 inches wide
they are all deficient in light in the front rooms, ground, floor. They have proper
through ventilation. The first floors are better lighted because they have a window
overlooking the yard as well as one in front. The back yards of these houses have each
an area of 182 square feet with the exception of Nos. 7A, 17 and 18, which are somewhat
less. The only structure in these is a small w.c. and occasionally a shed. The depth,
with the exception of those above mentioned, is 16 feet 4 inches from front to rear, and
in the exceptions mentioned, not less than 12 feet. In addition the yards of Nos. 11 to
18 abut on the yards of Donne Place which are 8 feet in depth, so that all these houses
are well provided with air space and light behind. On the whole the brickwork of these
houses shows signs of age and is in want of re-pointing. This has been done in the
case of the front walls of Nos. 7A, 14, 15 and 16, and No. 17 has been re-pointed back
and front. The back portion of No. 18 is weatherboard, in dilapidated condition. The
roofs are tiled and old and were mostly watertight, though those which were not
actually leaky showed signs of having recently been so. In the interior of these houses
the lower part of the staircase is very dark. The houses are tolerably clean and in a
passable state of repair. They are all sub-let, and the tenants are very poor and none
too clean.
" The fourth and last group comprises eight houses on the opposite side of the
Court, viz., Nos. 19 to 26. They are similar in structure and condition to the last, with
the exception of the back yards. The attics are dark and ill-ventilated. The lower
front rooms are dark, as also the bottom part of the staircase. The roofs are in similar
condition to the previous group, and the brickwork shows signs of decay and requires
pointing. The back wall of No. 26 is weatherboard in good condition. The back walls
of the remainder are brick. those from 22 to 25 being more dilapidated than in any
other part of the Court, while 19 to 21 are in fair condition. Nos. 19 to 24 have extra