In an attempt to prevent my brain exploding due to existential boredom, I've been investigating the courts in Neath, these particular "courts" being slum housing rather than being involved in legal matter.
There's dozens of the damn things.
On Old-maps there's a 1:500 map of Neath from 1878 which shows many of said courts, a fair percentage of which were even worse than back to backs.
The courts along what is nowadays termed Penydre were essentially the cellars of the houses above facing the canal with the odd ty-bach thrown in for good measure.
Family history alleges that relatives visiting Neath were horrified by the state of Penydre when walking into town back in the 1920s.
From the newspapers of the time it would appear that "Jolly's Court" provided many of the miscreants brought up before the beak.
The various reports from the medical officials to the council indicate that the communal lavatories left something to be desired.
Mostly slum clearance.
When the wind & tide were in the wrong combination some of the courts might be flooded to the depth of 18" or so.
With raw sewage.
Lovely.
There's dozens of the damn things.
On Old-maps there's a 1:500 map of Neath from 1878 which shows many of said courts, a fair percentage of which were even worse than back to backs.
The courts along what is nowadays termed Penydre were essentially the cellars of the houses above facing the canal with the odd ty-bach thrown in for good measure.
Family history alleges that relatives visiting Neath were horrified by the state of Penydre when walking into town back in the 1920s.
From the newspapers of the time it would appear that "Jolly's Court" provided many of the miscreants brought up before the beak.
The various reports from the medical officials to the council indicate that the communal lavatories left something to be desired.
Mostly slum clearance.
When the wind & tide were in the wrong combination some of the courts might be flooded to the depth of 18" or so.
With raw sewage.
Lovely.
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