The Great Stink was an event in Central London during July and August 1858, where the hot weather exacerbated the smell of untreated human waste and industrial effluent that was present on the banks of the River Thames.
How were people in London affected by the Great Stink?
The stink from his polluted waters had reached the noses of the politicians in their newly completed Houses of Parliament at Westminster. As The Times reported it, “The intense heat had driven our legislators from those portions of their buildings which overlook the river.
What was it like to live during the Great Stink?
That particular summer, all of London was feeling the affects of an oppressive heat wave and as a result, all the sewage in the Thames began to ferment in the scorching sun—centuries of waste was literally cooking in the monstrous heat. The result was a smell as offensive and disgusting as can ever be imagined.
What did London smell like in the 1800s?
In the 19th century, London was the capital of the largest empire the world had ever known — and it was infamously filthy. It had choking, sooty fogs; the Thames River was thick with human sewage; and the streets were covered with mud.
What was the significance of the Great Stink of London in 1858?
For centuries the River Thames had been used as a dumping ground for the capital’s waste and as the population grew, so did the problem. The hot summer of 1858 elevated the stench to an unbearable level and resulted in an episode known as ‘The Great Stink’.
What does London smell like?
There’s a heady aroma of car exhaust fumes, fuel and dust overpowering Londoners’ nostrils (perhaps unsurprisingly). But not far behind, the smell of the natural world – flowers, plants, trees and grass – is enveloping our noses.
What were the effects of the Great Stink?
The problem had been mounting for some years, with an ageing and inadequate sewer system that emptied directly into the Thames. The miasma from the effluent was thought to transmit contagious diseases, and three outbreaks of cholera before the Great Stink were blamed on the ongoing problems with the river.
What is the smelliest place on earth?
The smelliest places on Earth
- Seal Island, South Africa | Seals. Unless you’ve been to Seal Island, it’s unlikely you have ever considered what a seal smells like.
- St Lucia | Chocolate.
- Mexico City, Mexico | Sewage.
- Isparta, Turkey | Roses.
- Ijen Volcano, Java | Sulphur.
What was London like in the 1850s?
By the 1850s, London was the world’s most powerful and wealthiest city. But it was also the world’s most crowded city with growing problems of pollution and poverty that threatened to overwhelm its magnificence.
What did the great stink smell like?
In the steaming hot summer of 1858, the hideous stench of human excrement rising from the River Thames and seeping through the hallowed halls of the Houses of Parliament finally got too much for Britain’s politicians – those who had not already fled in fear of their lives to the countryside.
Who stopped the great stink?
The solution appeared simple: run all the waste disposal channels directly into the Thames River. The result of this, during an exceptionally hot summer, was the Great Stink of 1858. Because much of London took its water from the river, the cholera problem only worsened. Enter John Snow.
What did medieval London smell like?
An episode of the 2011 BBC TV documentary Filthy Cities describes the streets of London in the 1300s. They were ankle-deep in a putrid mix of wet mud, rotten fish, garbage, entrails, and animal dung.
How many people died in The Great Stink of London?
40,000 people died of Cholera in London alone
Between 1831 and 1866, approximately 40,000 people died from cholera in London alone. London’s first major cholera outbreak struck in 1831 when the disease claimed 6,536 lives. A second epidemic killed 14,136 between 1848–49.
When did London get sewage?
Parliament was forced to legislate to create a new unified sewage system for London. The Bill became law on 2 August 1858.
How long did it take to build the London sewers?
The intercepting sewers, constructed between 1859 and 1865, were fed by 450 miles (720 km) of main sewers that, in turn, conveyed the contents of some 13,000 miles (21,000 km) of smaller local sewers.
What is the UK’s Favourite smell?
If the results of our survey are anything to go by, we really are a nation of foodies. The top four favourite scents all stem from food and drink, with the Sunday morning saviour of sizzling bacon taking the crown for 50% of responders.
How is London described as?
This great world city is far more than just the capital of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. London is bustling, vibrant, multicultural and cosmopolitan. London is both old and new, a place where traditional pubs rub shoulders with the newest cocktail bars.
What did Oh de London smell like?
The original Oh! de London opened with a fresh citrus. It was bergamot orange pure and simple, and a lemon. There was a definite green note & greenness to how it opens. Smells like an orange flavored rosebush.
Why does the Thames look so dirty?
The River Thames appears brown because there is silt on the riverbed. This silt is made up of fine particles which disperse in the water and make it look muddy.
Can you swim in River Thames?
The tidal Thames is a fast-flowing waterway and the busiest inland waterway in the UK accommodating over 20,000 ship movements and hosting over 400 events each year. It is for these reasons the PLA restricts swimming throughout the majority of its jurisdiction for the safety of swimmers and river users.
Who built the sewers in London?
Joseph Bazalgette
28 March is the birth anniversary of Joseph Bazalgette, the Victorian engineer who masterminded London’s modern sewer system. Learn how Bazalgette helped clear the city’s streets of poo, and how you’re still benefiting from his genius every time you flush.