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the Ridgeway, old Town, Bush Hill Park, Clay Hill and Forty
Hill is, like the Western, partly on the London Clay, and the
remainder on soil of a loamy nature with gravel below. There is a
considerable population in the neighbourhood of the Town, partly
of a residential and business, also industrial nature. Bush Hill
Park is now almost entirely built upon, the inhabitants being
mostly industrial.
The Eastern part of the District, the lowest point of which (41
feet above Ordnance Datum) is found near the Flour Mills, Ponders
End, lies in the Lea Valley. The soil is of loam, lying on a deep
substratum of gravel. There are two principal centres of population
viz :—Ponders End and Enfield Lock, and the inhabitants are
mainly employed in local factories, horticulture and market gardening.
In addition to the Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield
Lock, there are the Corticine Works, Edison and Swan United
Electric Light Company's Works, Enfield Gas Works, Metallic
Tube Works, Velvril-Bonnaud Works, and the Rees Roturbo Company's
Works, Ponders End; also the Brimsdown Lamp Works,
North Metropolitan Power Station, Ruberoid Works, Enfield
Electric Cable Construction Company's Works, Remington Arms
Company's Works, and White Lead Works at Brimsdown, Enfield
Highway. In addition to these there are many smaller works and
steam laundries in the District.
Enfield is well provided with Parks and Recreation Grounds,
the Council having purchased and devoted to the use of the public
no less than 170 acres of land.
There is a public park in the Ordnance, Green Street and
Ponders End, and Bush Hill Park Wards respectively. The Town
Ward boasts of a beautiful park (23 acres),as well as "Chase Green,"
and the Chase Ward owns the "North Enfield Cricket Ground,"
and a large park of 62 acres known as "Hilly Fields," a name
which by no means does justice to its natural beauties.
POPULATION.
The population of Enfield at the census of 1901 was 42,738, a
figure which at the census of 1911 was altered to 56,338, showing
an increase in the population of 13,600 or 31.8 per cent. for the ten
years.
At the last census it was found that the average number of
inhabitants to each house was 5.12, and as on the 30th of June there
were 11,852 inhabited houses, it follows that the population of
Enfield at that date must be estimated at 60,682.
At the present time in consequence of the War, I have no
doubt the population is very considerably in excess of the estimated
figure, the Royal Small Arms Factory, which is working night and
day, has increased the number of its employees by some thousands,
and several other factories which are working for the Government,
have followed suit.