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Water technology in eighteenth-century London: the London Bridge Waterworks

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 November 2014

LESLIE TOMORY
LESLIE TOMORY*
Affiliation:
Department of History and Classical Studies, McGill University, Room 608, Leacock Building, 855 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2 T7, Canada
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Abstract:

The London Bridge Waterworks (LBWW) was founded in 1581 and lasted until the removal of the bridge in 1822. The waterworks was one of the largest water companies in London during this time. In contrast to the other water companies, its history was closely tied to both the bridge itself, as well as the City of London. Its initial growth was linked to the City's expansion, but was more limited in the eighteenth century because its pipes could not reach the expanding suburbs. This article describes the LBWW mostly at its height around 1745, when its surveyor produced a detailed engineering report of its technology.

Type
Research Article
Information
Urban History , Volume 42 , Issue 3 , August 2015 , pp. 381 - 404
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Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

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