London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972

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Lewisham 1856

[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Lewisham District]

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20
A difficulty arises in effecting the drainage of Penge, from the
necessity of constructing the sewer for that purpose through a
portion of the parish of Beckenham, which is not within the
Metropolitan area; and under these circumstances the sanction of
the Metropolitan Board was withheld to the last five sewers under
the head of Penge, until some arrangement could be made with the
owners of the property in Beckenham through which the sewer
must pass, and other persons interested in the construction of the
work. All the other sewers submitted to the Metropolitan Board
received their sanction.
Of the sewers thus sanctioned those at Rushey Green and Loat's
Pits were, on the recommendation of the Committee to whom the
Surveyor's report was referred, first executed.
It was found desirable during the construction of the former to
extend it considerably, and the extreme wetness of the soil made
the use of a large quantity of clay necessary. Hence the actual
cost of the work will be seen to exceed very far the original estimate
and contract price. The contract was let by tender to Mr.
John Murray for £310; the total cost, including the extra work,
was £468 9s. 4d.

The sewers were completed as under :—

locality.length in feet.size.materials.
RUSHEY GREEN. From the junction with the Main Sewer, nearly opposite the Rising Sun, along the west side of the road to the Avenue, and thence crossing the road to and a few feet south of the Black Horse113412 inchPipe
A branch from such pipe sewer at a point near the south end of Hindsley's Place, crossing and proceeding along the east side of the road to about 40 feet south of the Police Station1689 inchDitto
A branch from the same pipe sewer up Willow Walk200DittoDitto
Another branch from the same sewer up the100DittoDitto
LOAT'S PITS.
Queen Street18812 inchDitto
Essex Place1459 inchDitto
Regent Street172DittoDitto
King Street2002ft by 2ftHalf-brick
Ditto, in connection with the above20212 inchPipe

The next sewerage works undertaken by the Board were the one
in Homesdale, Lewisham, commencing at the junction with the
main sewer there and running northward up the hill, and that in
Spencer Place, Blackheath, commencing at the junction with an