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factories。 Bromstead had almost doubted in size again long before
the railway came； there was hardly any thatch left in the High
Street； but instead were houses with handsome brass…knockered front
doors and several windows； and shops with shop…fronts all of square
glass panes； and the place was lighted publicly now by oil lamps
previously only one flickering lamp outside each of the coaching
inns had broken the nocturnal darkness。 And there was talk； it long
remained talk；of gas。 The gasworks came in 1834； and about that
date my father's three houses must have been built convenient for
the London Road。 They mark nearly the beginning of the real
suburban quality； they were let at first to City people still
engaged in business。
And then hard on the gasworks had come the railway and cheap coal；
there was a wild outbreak of brickfields upon the claylands to the
east； and the Great Growth had begun in earnest。 The agricultural
placidities that had formerly come to the very borders of the High
Street were broken up north； west and south； by new roads。 This
enterprising person and then that began to 〃run up〃 houses；
irrespective of every other enterprising person who was doing the
same thing。 A Local Board came into existence； and with much
hesitation and penny…wise economy inaugurated drainage works。 Rates
became a common topic； a fact of accumulating importance。 Several
chapels of zinc and iron appeared； and also a white new church in
commercial Gothic upon the common； and another of red brick in the
residential district out beyond the brickfields towards Chessington。
The population doubled again and doubled again； and became
particularly teeming in the prolific 〃working…class〃 district about
the deep…rutted； muddy； coal…blackened roads between the gasworks；
Blodgett's laundries； and the railway goods…yard。 Weekly
properties； that is to say small houses built by small property
owners and let by the week； sprang up also in the Cage Fields； and
presently extended right up the London Road。 A single national
school in an inconvenient situation set itself inadequately to
collect subscriptions and teach the swarming； sniffing； grimy
offspring of this dingy new population to read。 The villages of
Beckington； which used to be three miles to the west； and Blamely
four miles to the east of Bromstead； were experiencing similar
distensions and proliferations； and grew out to meet us。 All effect
of locality or community had gone from these places long before I
was born； hardly any one knew any one； there was no general meeting
place any more； the old fairs were just common nuisances haunted by
gypsies； van showmen； Cheap Jacks and London roughs； the churches
were incapable of a quarter of the population。 One or two local
papers of shameless veniality reported the proceedings of the local
Bench and the local Board； compelled tradesmen who were interested
in these affairs to advertise； used the epithet 〃Bromstedian〃 as one
expressing peculiar virtues； and so maintained in the general mind a
weak tradition of some local quality that embraced us all。 Then the
parish graveyard filled up and became a scandal； and an ambitious
area with an air of appetite was walled in by a Bromstead Cemetery
Company； and planted with suitably high…minded and sorrowful
varieties of conifer。 A stonemason took one of the earlier villas
with a front garden at the end of the High Street； and displayed a
supply of urns on pillars and headstones and crosses in stone；
marble； and granite； that would have sufficed to commemorate in
elaborate detail the entire population of Bromstead as one found it
in 1750。
The cemetery was made when I was a little boy of five or six； I was
in the full tide of building and growth from the first； the second
railway with its station at Bromstead North and the drainage
followed when I was ten or eleven； and all my childish memories are
of digging and wheeling； of woods invaded by building； roads gashed
open and littered with iron pipes amidst a fearful smell of gas； of
men peeped at and seen toiling away deep down in excavations； of
hedges broken down and replaced by planks； of wheelbarrows and
builders' sheds； of rivulets overtaken and swallowed up by drain…
pipes。 Big trees； and especially elms； cleared of undergrowth and
left standing amid such things； acquired a peculiar tattered
dinginess rather in the quality of needy widow women who have seen
happier days。
The Ravensbrook of my earlier memories was a beautiful stream。 It
came into my world out of a mysterious Beyond； out of a garden；
splashing brightly down a weir which had once been the weir of a
mill。 （Above the weir and inaccessible there were bulrushes growing
in splendid clumps； and beyond that； pampas grass； yellow and
crimson spikes of hollyhock； and blue suggestions of wonderland。）
From the pool at the foot of this initial cascade it flowed in a
leisurely fashion beside a footpath；there were two pretty thatchcd
cottages on the left； and here were ducks； and there were willows on
the right；and so came to where great trees grew on high banks on
either hand and bowed closer； and at last met overhead。 This part
was difficult to reach because of an old fence； but a little boy
might glimpse that long cavern of greenery by wading。 Either I have
actually seen kingfishers there； or my father has described them so
accurately to me that he inserted them into my memory。 I remember
them there anyhow。 Most of that overhung part I never penetrated at
all； but followed the field path with my mother and met the stream
again； where beyond there were flat meadows； Roper's meadows。 The
Ravensbrook went meandering across the middle of these； now between
steep banks； and now with wide shallows at the bends where the
cattle waded and drank。 Yellow and purple loose…strife and ordinary
rushes grew in clumps along the bank； and now and then a willow。 On
rare occasions of rapture one might see a rat cleaning his whiskers
at the water's edge。 The deep places were rich with tangled weeds；
and in them fishes lurkedto me they were big fisheswater…boatmen
and water…beetles traversed the calm surface of these still deeps；
in one pool were yellow lilies and water…soldiers； and in the shoaly
places hovering fleets of small fry basked in the sunshineto
vanish in a flash at one's shadow。 In one place； too； were Rapids；
where the stream woke with a start from a dreamless brooding into
foaming panic and babbled and hastened。 Well do I remember that
half…mile of rivulet； all other rivers and cascades have their
reference to it for me。 And after I was eleven； and before we left
Bromstead； all the delight and beauty of it was destroyed。
The volume of its water decreased abruptlyI suppose the new
drainage works that linked us up with Beckington； and made me first
acquainted with the geological quality of the London clay； had to do
with thatuntil only a weak uncleansing trickle remained。 That at
first did not strike me as a misfortune。 An adventurous small boy
might walk dryshod in places hitherto inaccessible。 But hard upon
that came the pegs； the planks and carts and devastation。 Roper's
meadows； being no longer in fear of floods； were now to be slashed
out into parallelograms of untidy road； and built upon with rows of
working…class cottages。 The roads came；horribly； the houses
followed。 They seemed to rise in the night。 People moved into them
as soon as the roofs were on； mostly workmen and their young wives；
and already in a year some of these raw houses stood empty again
from defaulting tenants； with windows broken and wood…work warping
and rotting。 The Ravensbrook became a dump for old iron； rusty
cans； abandoned boots and the like； and was a river only when
unusual rains filled it for a day or so with an inky flood of
surface water。 。 。 。
That indeed was my most striking perception in the growth of
Bromstead。 The Ravensbrook had been important to my imaginative
life； that way had always been my first choice in all my walks with
my mother； and its rapid swamping by the new urban growth made it
indicative of all the other things that had happened just before my
time； or were still； at a less dramatic pace； happening。 I realised
that building was the enemy。 I began to understand why in every
direction out of Bromstead one walked past scaffold…poles into
litter； why fragments of broken brick and cinder mingled in every
path； and the significance of the universal notice…boards； either
white and new or a year old and torn and battered； promising sites；
proffering houses to be sold or let； abusing and intimidating
passers…by for fancied trespass； and protecting rights of way。
It is difficult to disentangle now what I understood at this time