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74
Nos. 40, 41, 42 and 43, Lower Mall. These four houses
are built on a small area on the river side of the Lower Mall
with small yards intervening. Two houses, Nos. 40 and 42,
face the river, whilst Nos. 41 and 43 face the Lower Mall.
The two houses facing the river have no apparent damp
proof course and there is dampness in each. The walls shew
a certain amount of subsidence and the window sashes are
decayed. There is no through ventilation in No. 42 and only
on the first floor in No. 40. The ceilings are unsound.
The water closets are built against the wall of the house
in each case and dampness exists in one.
The two houses facing the Mall, Nos. 41 and 43. There
are no damp proof courses and both have damp walls and the
ceilings are defective. The front rooms are very dark owing
to obstruction from the houses opposite.
There is a subsidence in the back wall of No. 43. There
is a small yard and a water closet to each, both of which are
defective structurally.
No. 38, Lower Mall. This is a workshop and store for
engineering materials. These premises are very defective for
similar reasons to those given in the preceding cases.
No. 37, Lower Mall. This is used by the Hampshire
House Trust as a Boy's Club. It consists of an old building
of two rooms, one on the first and one on the ground floors,
to which some alterations and addition have been made. The
level of the lower floor has been lowered to about a foot
below the adjoining roadway and is considerably lower still in
relation to the adjoining ground behind. The floor has been
covered with tiles. There is no apparent damp proof course.
The walls are very damp and on the East side almost wet.
The ceiling is sagging in places and unsound all over the old
portion, and deficient in part. The first floor is usually used
as a play room for the boys and is now used as a temporary
workshop for a Belgian refugee. The ceiling is all old, has
several patches of dampness from a defective roof, sagged and
appears to be unsafe. The window overlooking the river
allows the rain water to percolate into the room.
No. 36, Lower Mall. This house is occupied by the
caretaker of and communicates with No. 37. There appears
to be no damp proof course. It consists of two rooms on
the ground floor and three on the first floor.