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13
SECTION I.
NATURAL AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS OF THE
DISTRICT.
The Urban District of Walthamstow has an area of 4,343 acres,
and lies between the River Lea on the west and Epping Forest on
the east, extending from Leyton on its south to Chingford on the
north.
The area built upon is approximately 1,814 acres, and the land as
yet undeveloped is 987 acres. The remainder is made up as follows,
in acres:—
Schools 52|, Reservoirs 361, Railways 110, Allotments 231,
Epping Forest 359, Marsh Land 100, Municipal Depots 13,
Parks and Recreation Grounds 70, Cemetery 12, River Ching 251
Playing Fields 425, Xylonite Factory 41, London Genera,
Omnibus Works 9 and the Sewage Farm 238.
The 987 acres termed "undeveloped" include a large proportion
of the land now used as allotments and playing fields.
The District is divided into six Wards for administrative purposes ;
they vary in altitude from 18 feet above ordnance datum in the
St. James' Street Ward, to 230 feet in the Hale End Ward.
The subsoil is mainly gravel, the London clay showing itself in
various parts on the surface, more particularly in the Wood Street
and the Northern Wards.
There are two small streams within the District—the Ching and
the Dagenham Brook, and the River Lea flows past the western
boundary.
The Ching, a small brook, enters the District at Highams Park in
the northern area, and winds its course through Hale End and Chapel
End to the River Lea.
The Dagenham Brook, rising within the District, is the outlet for
our drainage, and having received the effluent of the Sewage Farm,
situated in the western or St. James' Street Ward, winds its course
through the neighbouring parish of Leyton and joins the River Lea
at Temple Mills, near Stratford.
Neither stream, at any point, is used for domestic purposes, nor
likely to be a source of pollution to potable waters.
The whole District has a duplicate system of sewers, and practically
every house water-closet accommodation. The average daily
flow of sewage is 2,500,000 gallons.
The sewage is received into precipitating tanks, treated with lime
and alum, the solids removed, and the effluent subsequently passed
over the Farm before finally passing out of the District.
In addition there are in operation at the Farm large filter beds of
clinker for dealing with storm water.