May 20, 2022
4 min read
The Smelliest Summer in British History
How the “Great Stink” of 1858 revealed the injustice of the Victorian class system
I n the summer of 1858, the putrid smell of the once-beloved River Thames became too much for members of the British Parliament to bear.
The thick summer heat combined with the cesspool known as “Father Thames” drifted into the House of Commons, prompting lawmakers to (finally) take…
