Dr F. St. George Mivart's report to the Local Government Board on the general sanitary circumstances and administration of the borough of Blandford Forum.

  • Mivart, F. St. George.
Date:
1909
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Dr F. St. George Mivart's report to the Local Government Board on the general sanitary circumstances and administration of the borough of Blandford Forum. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Dr. F. St. George Mivart’s Report to the Local Government Board on the General Sanitary circumstances and administration of the Borough of Blandford Forum. Arthur Nevvsholme, Medical Officer, June 9th, 1909. This inspection was assigned to me by the Local Government Board in consequence of their attention having been directed by persistent local complaints, as well as by the reports of the medical officer of health, to the existence of insanitary conditions in the borough of Blandford. The small but ancient borough of Blandford Forum, in the County of Dorset, and neat' its eastern boundary, is in the registration and sub-registration districts of Blandford. To- gether with Blandford Rural District it is comprised in the Blandford Union. The borough area, only 145 acres in extent, is wholly sur- rounded by the Rural District of Blandford. The population at. the 1901 census was 3,649, and is now thought to be increased slightly. The town, compactly built on the side of a small hill, con- sists of two principal streets, Salisbury Street, and East Street, which converge upon a rather spacious market place near to the north bank of the River Stour, which skirts the town close to its southern extremity. The height above Ordnance datum varies from 198 feet near the Workhouse to 116 feet near the eastern end of the market place. The lowest part of the town is liable to flooding occa- sionally. On the 5th and 6th March of the present year the river suddenly rose owing to rapid melting of snow, and the south side of East Street was partly flooded. In appearance and situation the town is attractive. There are no special industries now carried on, but there are numerous prosperous business concerns of the kind generally found in con- siderable market towns. One of the largest wool markets in the West of England is held here annually in July. General Sanitary Circumstances. Save for a band of alluvial soil, the town is wholly situated upon Chalk, which in some places is close beneath the surface. Roads.—There are, I am informed, three miles three furlongs of road in the area of the borough, half being main and half district road. They are curbed and channelled, and at the time of my visit were in good order. Dwellings.—At the 1901 census the borough of Blandford con- tained 832 inhabited houses on its area of 145 acres, an average of 5‘7 houses per acre. But as there is, in the eastern and (13143—21.') Wt 1834—557, 500. 7/09. D & S.