Housing in Street

After an outbreak of fever in 1853 caused by poor drainage, lack of sanitation, and water pollution and some very bad housing Street Board of Health was formed under the chairmanship of Cyrus Clark. It had a salaried clerk, a treasurer, a medical officer of health, a surveyor, and an inspector of nuisances assisted by two people in each of the four districts into which the parish was divided. The board was originally responsible for drainage, water supply, refuse collection, and road repair.

The report that led to the setting up of the Board of health revealed the poor conditions in which many of workers had been living probably and led to the provision of housing by the Clark family for their shoemakers. Superior cottages were built in the 1850s in Somerton Lane followed by the development of new roads off High Street including Cranhill and Orchard roads, lined with long terraces of workers housing and Wilfrid Road.

See volume 9 of the Victoria County history of Somerset for a full history.