South London . :they are simple cubes of grey brick with rows and lines ofwindows. Outside they may be models of economy in within, they may be models of convenience ; but thereis another side. The moral effect of this piling up of familyon family is reported to be injurious in ways not contemplatedby the founders : the quiet folk are terrorised by the rowdy ;the children are demoralised : there are dangers not expected,and temptations not considered : in a word, tlie model lodging- BELOW BRIDGE 233 liouses of Southwark and Bermondsey are not, in everyrespect, adapted to a model pop
South London . :they are simple cubes of grey brick with rows and lines ofwindows. Outside they may be models of economy in within, they may be models of convenience ; but thereis another side. The moral effect of this piling up of familyon family is reported to be injurious in ways not contemplatedby the founders : the quiet folk are terrorised by the rowdy ;the children are demoralised : there are dangers not expected,and temptations not considered : in a word, tlie model lodging- BELOW BRIDGE 233 liouses of Southwark and Bermondsey are not, in everyrespect, adapted to a model population. It is difficult between London Bridge and Rotherhithe toget at the river, except at two or three spots where the oldstairs can be approached by a narrow passage. There is anembankment or terrace : the whole bank is occupied forcommercial purposes : business men do not like strangers onthese wharves : and for all practical purposes the dwellersbelow Bridge might just as well be a dozen miles inland. If,. THE OLD ELEPHANT AND CASTLE, 1814 however, the resident of Bermondsey can sometimes—say, onSaturday afternoon—get down to the stairs and look out uponthe river, he will see close at hand, not only the ships andbarges that lie about the wharves, but the grand new Water-gate of London, the most appropriate entrance that could bedevised to the port—the new Tower Bridge. Where Bermondsey Wall ended and Rotherhithe beganthe houses, until fifty years ago, rapidly grew thinner, untilRotherhithe itself consisted of little more than a single street, 234 SOUTH LONDON with docks, and stairs, and ta\crns on the riverside, and onthe other side lanes leading to cottages and cottage Commercial Docks were opened in 1807, but the placestill preserved something of its old character until quiterecently. It consisted of a district round which the riverflowed on the north and east. Like all the country about theThames, it was low-lying, and originally a marsh. Evenas late
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Keywords: ., bookauthorbesantwa, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookyear1912
