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7
GENERAL CHARACTERS OF HARROW
Harrow is about 10 miles from London, in the Diocese
of the Metropolis, in the Hendon Union, in the Watford
County Court District and in the Gore Petty-Sessional Division
of the County of Middlesex. The hill, which is 400ft.
high, is capped with Bagshot sand and lies on the London
clay. The physical features resemble those of the neighbouring
heights of Hampstead and Highgate.
The London clay, a water-tight stratum, attains a depth
of a hundred feet or more : immediately underneath are situated
the Reading beds averaging in thickness forty to fifty
feet.
The upper layers of the clay as seen in road cuttings and
openings made for the foundations of houses present considerable
variety in composition and colour. Brown beds;
intermingle with others containing yellow sands. Dark
smoke-coloured clay streaked with greensand, pyrites and
pebbles lies underneath the superficial brown beds and
occasionally outcrops through them. This prevalence of
clay renders the district damp, a fact of some importance in
connection with housing.
WATER.
The district is supplied with softened water by
the Colne Valley Water Company from their works at
Bushey.
An analysis made in April, 1919, showed that the water
was satisfactory for drinking and for domestic purposes.
The supply is constant and was quite sufficient throughout
the year.
DRAINAGE AND SEWERAGE.
The sewage of the greater portion (about two-thirds) of
the Urban District is purified by chemical precipitation
followed by land filtration at the Newton Sewage Farm on
the Western border of Roxeth. The effluent was quite satisfactory
throughout the year.
The sewage of the remainder of the District (about onethird)
adjoining Wealdstone, is disposed of by the Wealdstone
District Council to the satisfaction of all concerned.
The effluents of these farms run into the Kenton and Yeading
Brooks, tributaries of the Brent.