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ANNUAL REPORT.
PHYSICAL FEATURES.
The Urban District of Barnes is situated in the northwestern
part of the county of Surrey, within the Metropolitan
Police and the London Postal Area, bounded on the north by the
River Thames, on the south and east by the Metropolitan Borough
of Wandsworth, and on the west by the Borough of Richmond.
The surface of the ground on the eastern side of the district rises
with a gradual slope from the river towards the south, proceeding
westwards the slope of the ground gets more marked till at
Vicarage Road the highest level is reached.
The soil is mainly a layer of permeable gravel overlying at
varying depths the subjacent London clay, which forms a more or
less impermeable stratum with a fall towards adjoining waterways.
In certain parts of the district the London clay reaches very near
the surface and even outcrops on the Palewell Common. The
effect of such a gravel soil on health is certainly a favourable one, it
does not form so cold a site for dwelling-houses as does clayey soil,
it allows also the rapid removal of water from the surface of the
ground because of its greater permeability.