Lowewood Museum
Waltham New Town

Waltham New Town

Created 21 June, 2008

The Holdbrook development was an ambitious redevelopment of the area formely known as Waltham New Town. The nucleaus of the New Town dated from about 1860 and is believed to have been a direct result of the invention of guncotton at the Waltham Abbey powder mills and the consequent demand for increased labour.

Victorian houses, Waltham New Town c1900. Demolished early 1980sIn 1869 Dr. Priest, who served as "acting surgeon" started a series of annual reports in a drive against the terribly unsanitary conditions prevailing the factory and in Waltham New Town. The level of the cess pits of their houses was normally only inches above the level of the surrounding streams, and in flood conditions that prevailed nearly every winter they lived in a lake of sewage. The local authorities refused to take action and made great difficulties and delays even when he spurred them on by writing to and visiting the Local Government Board and Members of Parliament. He won in the end but it was a long and hard struggle.

In 1871 he reports that "a case of small-pox has occured in the family of Mr. Richard Adams, master worker. The patient had been placed in an upper room isolated as much as possible and Mr. Adams directed to reside in the factory and to hold no communication with his family until the infection danger is at an end".

Dr Priest was clearly a man of intelligence with the courage of his convictions. It was long after 1872 before the dangers of nitrous fumes were generally realised, but in his report for that year he says "The employment of men and bys in the guncotton factory has not harmed their health, but I fear it may be unless some means can be found to carry off or decompose the gases, as a man's lungs cannot bear with impunity the breathing of nitrous acid fumes for any length of time".

If you have any photographs of Waltham New Town please let us know.

Last updated: 19 July, 2008