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11
Whenever it can be done Surface Water Drains are laid in
New Streets in order to relieve the Sewers as much as possible.
Several important works for the relief of floods at Lewisham,
were undertaken and carried out during the year. First amongst
these was the re-building of the Plough Bridge. This was done
by the County of Kent, at the instigation of the Lewisham Board
of Works. supported by the Plmnstead Board of Works. A
Deputation consisting of represntatives of the two Boards waited
upon the Justices at the Sessions, when an order was passed by
the Court to undertake the work upon the Lewisham Board providing
any land required for the new bridge, widening the
waterway below the proposed bridge, and paying all compensation.
The new bridge was constructed 80 feet southward of the old
bridge, and crises the road at an angle of about 45° in place
of nearly square, as in the ease of the old structure. The span of
the new bridge is 25 feet 0 inches, that of the old bridge some
16 feet 0 inches. The new structure having a level soffit, gives
more than double the waterway of the old bridge. The Lewisham
Board widened or increased the width of the Quaggy below the
new bridge, to the junction with the Ravensbourne, from 16 feet
to 21 feet, the average of the new waterway being 126 superficial
feet. The Earl of Dartmouth, who is the Freeholder, gave
the land for doing the work.
The old watercourse from the culvert under the North Kent
Railway, near the Lewisham Junction Railway Station, was
rc-opencd to the Ravensbourne, and a culvert constructed under
the roadway, &c., at Mid-Kent Cottages. This culvert has a
sectional area of 20 superficial feet. The water from the Ravensbourne
discharges into the culvert over a head wall, the level of
which is 6 inches higher than the overflow weir at the Silk Mills.
The Board also widened the watercourse leading from the bottom
of the overflow weir at the Silk Mills to the Ravensbourne. The
widening was effected on the ground occupied by Mr. Tyler; the
Freeholder, the Karl of Dartmouth, veiy libeially gning up the
requisite land for carrying out the work. These works cannot fail
to relieve the flooding, although, of course, they are not put forward
as a complete remedy.
The total cost of the work carried out by the Board was
eighteen hundred pounds. When we consider the large amount