A Hucknall History

Public Utility & Services

Sanitation & Nuisances

Cause of and thus curing infectious diseases long baffled medical science. That gave little chance stopping European spread of Asiatic Cholera eventually entering this 1831 island. Resurging broader epidemics caused a significant death toll among infected towns. Nottingham finds closest busier centre, where Henry Field described how an 1832 cholera scourge ... prevailed in its most fatal form in imperfectly drained and ill-ventilated localities. Dating further national resurgences ultimately demanded action.

Taking that recognised first step towards improving Britain's public health was an effective guideline to help solve by prevention any further infections. It officially permitted loans paid back from rates to cover local costs implementing healthier town infrastructures.

Small rural hamlets were least prone to harbour infectious diseases. Regularly cleaning stables, cow sheds and pig sties, likely well recognised how relatively low quantities of human faeces added manure for fertilising fields. Precaution against bacterial spread would probably raise general disgust concerning all faecal matter. But forthcoming nationwide riddance of foul air, dirty garbage and sewerage raised unfounded stigmatic repercussions for Hucknall-under-Huthwaite folk. Populating an earlier well known Dirty Hucknall teased locally pronounced Dotty or Mucky Huckna' homes. Understandings from 19th century purge for cleanliness aimed to provoke defensive anger. Explanation behind descriptive 16th century Sherwood Forest commons corrects all mistaken beliefs.

After the Sewage Utilization Act 1865, the Sanitary Act 1866 made it compulsory for local authorities to improve sanitary hazards. A mains sewerage system demanded removal of dirty water and wastes from buildings. It also legally empowered officers to remove any public health nuisances. They were classified as residential overcrowding, and failure to keep clean disinfected housing. Those measures were largely provoked by problematic denser populated towns. Constructing busiest city of London sewer tunnels that initially dumped human excrement into the smellier river Thames raised parliamentary concerns on a scale way above local needs.

Forming the 1873 Hucknall-under-Huthwaite Local Board timely recognised rising numbers of workers becoming housed in cheaply built yards. Governing future advancements demanded compliance with Ministry of Health regulations. The Builder dates March 1st 1873 when one relevant meeting for county sanitary authorities convened at Newark at the instigation of the Inspector of the Local Government Board. Representatives were from :- Borough of Newark Improvement Commissioners, Mansfield Improvement Commissioners, Grantham Union, Southwell Union, Worksop Union, Sutton-in-Ashfield Local Board, Mansfield Woodhouse Local Board, Basford Union, Hucknall-under-Huthwaite Local Board, Bingham Union, Hucknall Torkard Local Board, &c.. Mr. Flemming explained how Government would cover 50% of their salaried appointment for a competent Medical Officer of Health.

Appreciating public interest barely desired detailed coverage to historically expose a shitty subject, should not underestimate value eventually siting the Huthwaite sewerage treatment plant. Press did enlighten when the January 1886 Local Board ; ... resolved that Mr. Willey should be asked to furnish a detailed plan showing the drainage and sewage at the home he is erecting on the Sutton road. Although that seemed to infer initial concern ensuring healthy compliance, it predates them laying any known piped drainage connections. Chances are that reveals purposeful intrigue to best answer later raised questionable points of interest.

Flushing away human excrement wasn't actually managed until many years after first needing to supply Huthwaite mains water. To tap cleanest necessity finally enabled broader sited street housing. That started rapid building of a mining community. Ensuring a fast growing population were healthily homed incorporating relevantly suitable sanitation was major reason forming local councils. But a general look back through time cannot find much progression beyond communal seating over drained Roman latrines.

Human instinct to squat for a poo remains globally recognised as the most natural basically efficient way to empty bowels. Modern term given Open Defecation wouldn't have been recognised by any past miners who were occasionally caught short while working underground. Farmed family homes may further recognise laying a holed floor over a pit latrine. International variations could offer piped ventilation, plus a weather shelter or outhouse privacy. But English preference more comfortably sat upon holed seats over a long drop toilet is more widely evident through medieval castles into an industrial Victorian era. An interesting visit to Ruddington hosiery museum found one alternative for the disposal of excrement. Factory owners had shared their yard end privy that fed a rear pig sty latrine. Not all cultures appreciated that animals disgusting appetite, which cheaply reared British World War meat.

Commonest use of household chamber pots might find antique collectors saving extremely decorative Victorian examples. Plainer smaller pots typically kept under beds for emergencies could toilet train nappy toddlers or just save dark cold outhouse visits. Use of urine for tanning leather is recognised behind a widely familiar phrase for somebody being Piss Poor. Impoverished need to sell pee might further describe a worst state being Piss Pot Poor. Some may alternatively suggest they didn't even have a pot to piss in. Hints of chamber pots being emptied among local fire ash when starting dustbin collections introduces name given to Night Soil. Just sketching out general understandings will, nevertheless, better recall timing for Night Soil carts driven by Ten O'clock Horses.

Huthwaite Night Soil

Constructing 1886 rentable houses gained introduction of tapped sinks, while identifying layouts conformed to acceptable levels of healthy sanitation. Strong medical beliefs thought it important to provide a back yard to ensure circulation of fresh air between addition of three brick outhouses at bottom end. A coal shed plus dustbin storage area furthermore added private luxury of a toilet for each household. Standard wooden holed seating replaced need digging pit latrines beneath by description given a pail closet.

Sat second in amongst his employed night soil gang fulfilling c1920s Sutton UDC contract to empty those closet pails is (William Arthur) Bill Caunt. Reporting that councils June 1935 purchase extends demand for their horse and cart services after; The Sanitary Inspector submitted five quotations for the supply of two gross of galvanized sanitary pails, and it was agreed that the quotation of Messrs. Brettell and Shaw, Ltd., of Quarry Bank, Staffs. be accepted in the sum of 3s. 4.5d. each net.

Start times for night soil collections long maintained bedtime threats. Parents retold how those 10 o'clock 'osses would take away any children not yet asleep.

Just a few clues hint where later dumped Huthwaite night soil shared same sites for dustbin fire ashes. A levelled borderline area later opened New Hucknall Colliery sports grounds. The death of George Maltby whilst working for Huthwaite UDC suggests a similar base layer beneath a Huthwaite Park football pitch.

Sighting what seemed to have been a large hole north side below Blackwell Road couldn't find any mapped suggestion of purpose. Unlike past pit shafts, stone quarries, clay pits or brick works, this unmarked hollow opposite Blenheim Place remained intriguing. A reliable late Bill Harrison immediately recalled a hole simply known as the locally pronounced Willo's 'ole, had once been a cesspit.

Variations of that phonetic spelling still couldn't recognise any census names. Sewage subject research finding the aforementioned January 1886 house builder can finally and most certainly identify Willey's Hole. Fact the Hucknall Huthwaite Local Board had just accepted a Sutton supply of mains water while showing their interest in his planned sewage, could even suppose his advisory assistance for their soon after introduction of a healthier pail closet system. Good chance asserting this firstly sited a large remote village cesspool for night soil disposal would now best answer queries wondering why later built nearby property plans mark one area of unknown contamination. Surveyors claim same historic classification applied elsewhere given past building foundations and rubble. But no type of historical waste will give them reason to put off planned progress foreseeing more housing developments.

Huthwaite Sewage Filtration Works

Suggestions of additional night soil dumps still being behind Newcastle Street and far east end Sutton Road cannot discount use until nearer 1930, well after Huthwaite Urban District Council introduced their small sewage filtration works. Detailed maps willingly exposed location of that advancement. Discrete placement is revealed from 1921 off far bottom end Blackwell Road behind the Miners Arms public house. Remotely edging west village boundary would make further use of a Blackwell Brook. That small stream of water naturally draining off Strawberry Bank had anciently defined this section of the county borderline. Reliance on a minimum trickle long quenched Old Hucknall Colliery Pitrow housing, plus beer house brewing before course filtered all household sewage.

Clearest layout of the busiest 1930s plot is where night soil carters end up emptying all Huthwaite closet pail collections. Mapping keeps repeated reference into the 50's, despite showing new addition of present facilities. Short cart track entry off Blackwell Road has incidentally, since been extended into a through road recognising industrial estate site coverage along Nunn Brook Road.

Inspection by the County Medical Officer of Health reported February 1933 satisfaction of those sewage disposal works. But that further exposed when Huthwaite health officials submitted their proposed conversion of pail closets to the water carriage system, stating that the number of pail closets to be converted was 979 and that the estimated cost of each conversion would be £6 10s. The report was approved and adopted, and it was resolved that a copy be supplied to each member and that the officials approach the Colliery Company and chief owners of property and ascertain whether they will be prepared to contribute one third of the cost.

Huthwaite Sewage Treatment Works

Positioning newer designed sewage works below Common Road just happens to next update comparable close proximity the New Hucknall Colliery. Choosing another lower valley remote location must this time suit need for natural downhill drainage. Reporting January 1934 completion of a sewerage connection for 40 houses confirmed full occupancy was already taken of their Chesterfield Road housing scheme. Huthwaite Urban District Council wasted little time extending their second similar sized phase forming Woodland Avenue and Strawberry Bank addresses. They'd been empowered to serve slum demolition orders on properties unable to meet updated levels for sanitation, so primary purpose needed to healthily rehouse families away from cramped yard dwellings.

Utilising a termed water carriage system meant of course the introduction of flushable toilets. Aim to convert all existing Huthwaite pail closets obviously required laying an entire village sewerage system. Roadworks presumably also added grated drainage for rainfall joining underground flow of faecal waste. Lengthy project completion had to be overseen under enlarged authority of a 1935 Sutton-in-Ashfield Urban District Council. Their later purchase of closet pails must indicate some other encompassed ward retained longer reliance on night soil carts, although redundancy of collections in a comparably advanced Huthwaite ward remains unclear.

Many living memories can easily recall cold outside toilets. A handle handily hung on left side enabled pulling a long chain for water to flush away bowl contents from an overhead cast iron cistern. Cycling around grandparents Blackwell Road c1964 rear yard once used their long outdated but still functional loo. Granddad Elliott no doubt witnessed plumbed installation in the original pail closet outbuilding. Taking 1951 opportunity to purchase two rented family homes from the late Hopkins estate then further affords modern conveniences. Converting one unused rear bedroom presented comfort of a fully equipped bathroom with latest designed lavatory.

Parents 1960 purchase of a Main Street family start home shared similar 1900 built layout. But outbuildings bottom end a rear garden stood unused after plumbing a cleaner water closet often alternatively favoured closer relocation between a coal shed and kitchen. This property though, further boasted late 50s modernising adding newest bathroom facilities.

Newspapers far predating any TV entertainment or even radio broadcasting, afforded daily delivery of broadsheet news. Leisurely reads sat outdoors on wood horseshoe shaped toilet seats found one of various common reuses. Cut up squares hung on wall for wiping bottoms kept up preference against discomforting smearing from boxed IZAL paper sheets. That medicated toilet tissue was discovered supplied to schools and all public bogs. Pub choice only improved after 80s indoor washrooms.