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4
DESCRIPTION AND TOPOGRAPHY OF THE
DISTRICT.
THE Urban District of Southgate is formed by a number of
Hamlets, previously—and some of them even now—called
"villages." It is partly situated on what is sometimes called the
Northern Heights, about eight miles from London, and is
rapidly becoming essentially suburban in character.
It may be conveniently divided into four localities—
(i) Southgate, (2) Winchmore Hill, (3) a large part of New
Southgate and Bounds Green, (4) Palmers Green and a large
part of Bowes.
The District comprises an area of 3,596 acres, and may be
said to consist of three valleys, running from west to east, the
northern areas being somewhat higher than the southern, and
the whole consisting of very undulating ground dipping off to a
rather flat area on the eastern boundary, adjoining the Edmonton
District. The highest Ordnance level is on the Enfield Road,
and is 302 feet; while the lowest is near the south-eastern
boundary, and is 61 feet.
The subsoil consists of various clays with large pockets of
gravel and sand. On the south side is a grand bed of brick
earth overlying a deep bed of gravel, which forms excellent
building land, on which a building estate has recently been
opened. Beneath these strata are beds of London clay, black
sand, and chalk, more or less water bearing, and from which the
deep wells and borings of the New River Company derive their
supply.
POPULATION.
The census returns of 1901 shewed that in this District the
number of inhabitants to each occupied house averaged from 5.1
to 5.3, according to the locality. Taking this as the basis of
calculation, the population at Midsummer, 1904, was 19,000, an
increase of 2,000 over that of the previous year.
This is the largest increase in one year that has occurred in
this District, and was due to the large number of new houses
occupied; one-half of these were erected in Palmers Green, the
remaining half being fairly evenly distributed through the rest of
the District.
The population of the four localities which make up the