Throughout
the 19th century the working class houses
in Jericho, with very few exceptions, were good quality for the period
in terms of size, space, light and gardens. The real problem in Jericho,
as elsewhere, was the complete absence of sanitary facilities. Water from
pumps and wells became polluted by seepage from privies and local ditches
and streams filled with raw sewage; when cholera struck in 1832, 22 cases
occurred in Jericho Gardens. Drainage of
the area in 1849-50, inspired by the fears of nearby Worcester College,
improved matters and the extension of mains water and main drainage brought
further benefits from the 1860s and 1870s. Nevertheless, flooding remained
a regular feature in low-lying areas until the later 20th century.
Throughout
the 19th century the working class houses
in Jericho, with very few exceptions, were good quality for the period
in terms of size, space, light and gardens. The real problem in Jericho,
as elsewhere, was the complete absence of sanitary facilities. Water from
pumps and wells became polluted by seepage from privies and local ditches
and streams filled with raw sewage; when cholera struck in 1832, 22 cases
occurred in Jericho Gardens. Drainage of
the area in 1849-50, inspired by the fears of nearby Worcester College,
improved matters and the extension of mains water and main drainage brought
further benefits from the 1860s and 1870s. Nevertheless, flooding remained
a regular feature in low-lying areas until the later 20th century. 