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At the 1921 Census, a temporary Defence Corps of 3,757
persons was encamped on Wimbledon Common, and was
included in the Census population. Deducting that figure, the
actual estimated increase of population in the last five years is,
according to the Registrar-General's figures, only 227 persons.
Calculating by the number of new houses erected in the area in
the same period, it is probable that the actual population of the
district is about 60,000 persons.
Physical features and general character of the area:—The
soil of the district is London Clay, covered in the higher areas
with grave) and in the lower with alluvial deposits from the
River Wandle. The valley of the Wandle, the lowest part of the
Borough, is 41 feet above sea level, and the underground waiter
in this area is materially affected by flooding. For this reason
special bye-laws have been made in regard to the erection of
dwellings in this section of the district. The highest part of the
Borough is adjacent to Wimbledon Common, which is 183 feet
above sea level.
Number of inhabited houses:—
1921 11,926
1925 12,719
Number of fumilies or separate occupiers:—
1921 13,998
1925 13,562
Rateable Value:—£529,900.
Sum represented by a penny rate :—£2,190.
Social Conditions:—Wimbledon, situated on the outer
ring of London, must be regarded mainly as a dormitory for
workers in London. This is confirmed by the classification of
occupations given in the 1921 Census. Professional and commercial
occupations, carried on mainly in London, form a very
large group. Business premises have sprung up locally and
extended to meet the needs of the residents, and though 458
premises are registered under the Factory and Workshops Acts,
they are for the most part small. From its position, the
Borough is regarded as a suitable site for laundries, and
thirty-three, employing over 1,200 hands., are registered in the
district. Leather works, gas mantle works, chemical processes
works, and a railway stock and repairing depot, each give
employment to between 100 to 300 hands. Such works cannot
be said to exert any particular influence on Public Health.