T. Dodd, Esq., Curator to the Bodleian Library, Oxford, Lay
Fellow.
W. F. Harrison, Esq., Rochester, Lay Fellow.
R. Call, Esq., of Tavistock Street, Bedford Square, Lay Fellow,
and Professor of Architectural Acoustics.
Mr. W. H. Rogers, of Great Newport Street, Illuminator.
We recommend architects, architectural students, and patrons of
architecture to join this institution, the advantages of which promise to
be great, and the costs small.
PUBLIC FOOTPATHS, &c.
The following letter is so generally applicable to the subject of the
management of the roads and footways in the environs of large towns, that
we insert it as much on that account as for the particular drift which
recommends it to the attention of our metropolitan readers:—
_To the Editor of the Morning Herald._
“Sir,—The readiness with which you insert notices of public
grievances, and the effect which these notices always have
in drawing attention to them, induces me to state to you a
serious inconvenience to which the inhabitants of Bayswater are
subject, in the hope that it may through your pages attract the
attention of the Metropolitan Road Commission.
“It is simply this that the footpath of a considerable portion
of the Bayswater-road, between the end of Oxford-street and
the door into Kensington-gardens, is during wet weather,
and especially after frost, in a worse state than any other
footpath, as far as I know, in the neighbourhood of London;
in fact, though in the immediate suburbs of the metropolis,
it has, with its wide and deep open ditch, and rough hedge
bank, all the characteristics of a footpath in a remote
rural district. It requires only to be inspected, to produce
conviction that it ought no longer to remain in its present
disgraceful state. On the other side of the road, approaching
the door into Kensington-gardens, there is another open
ditch, which serves as a common sewer to the houses in its
neighbourhood; and the fœtid exhalations from this ditch in
the warm weather, and the filthy appearance of the water in it
at all times, are disgraceful to the public authorities; more
especially in these days, when so much attention is being paid
to public drainage, and other sanitary measures.
“The parish authorities have been repeatedly applied to,
but their answer is, that it is the business of the Road
Commissioners to attend to these footpaths and ditches.
“As to the footpaths, they ought to be paved, or laid with
asphalte; but if it be too expensive to pave the whole width
of the footpath, a strip of two feet wide, along the middle,
would be a great accommodation to females and aged persons,
and to workmen going to and returning from their work in the
morning and evenings. Some years ago you published a letter
of mine, in which I endeavoured to point out the advantages
that would result from paving a narrow strip along the middle
of the footpaths, or two separate strips along such as were
much frequented, on all the footpaths round London for several
miles distant. Besides the obvious accommodation to females and
infirm persons which this strip of pavement or asphalte would
afford, it would enable mechanics going to their work to walk
nearly as fast again as they do now, and consequently they
might have their dwellings farther out in the country, where
they would pay lower rents, and sleep in better air. Strips of
Yorkshire pavement two feet wide might be laid down at 1s. 3d.
per foot in length, or cheaper if the contract were made for
laying down several miles of it.
“As for the ditches on the Bayswater-road, they require only an
18-inch barrel-drain, and filling up to the level of the path.
“If I might farther trespass on your pages, I would direct
public attention to the manner in which the trees and
shrubs along footpaths are cut and mangled by the parochial
road-surveyors in the suburbs of London. On the south side
of roads lying in the direction of east and west, it may be
advantageous to cut off all those branches which overhang the
footpath, the better to admit the sun and wind to act on its
surface; but surely the Act of Parliament which directs the
lopping of trees overhanging roads, need not be so rigidly
enforced in the case of streets running in the direction from
north to south, along the whole surface of which the sun shines
a portion of every day throughout the year when he appears;
whereas on the south sides of east and west streets, during a
portion of every day in the year, he does not shine at all.
The street from which I date this letter consists of detached
houses, each surrounded by a garden, the low trees and large
shrubs in which slightly overhang the footpath, or rather, I
should say, break and vary the line of the front palisades,
and render the street one of the most picturesque in the
immediate neighbourhood of town; but of late a new parochial
road-surveyor acting, no doubt with the best intentions,
according to the letter of the law, has given notice to all
the occupants to cut off the overhanging branches, which
having been done by the greater number of occupants, even to
the cutting off of the projecting tufts of ivy, has produced
a formal line of amputation which disfigures the street,
without doing any good whatever. In the case of a north and
south street, it is surely sufficient to cut off all branches
that would impede a tall person carrying an umbrella, or which
reach as far as the curb-stone, and might be in the way of
the cart or carriage taking up or setting down. I understand
that in such a case as this there is no appeal, except to the
magistrates, who of course can only point to the law.
“I hope this last subject may be considered as coming within
the province of the Metropolitan Commission for Improvements
lately formed, and if so, I hope they will consider this letter
as an appeal to them.
“It never can be the intention of the Legislature to disfigure
any public road or street when doing so is attended with no
public good whatever.
“Apologizing for the length of this letter, and hoping you will
be able to spare room for it,
“I remain, Sir, your obedient servant,
“J. C. LOUDON.
“No. 3, Porchester-terrace, Bayswater,
“February 14th, 1843.”