Witton Lakes Tragedy, June 1929

[Pedrocut]

WITTON LAKES SAND PIT TRAGEDY 1929

Several times on the Forum we have seen children playing in areas that, in today's world, would be cordoned off. In June 1929 tradegy struck in Witton Lakes and the owner seems to have been cleared of blame and you are left with the feeling the blame must be held by the children.

Two children were killed and three escaped when several tons of sand fell from the face of a cliff in the sand pit which was said to lie between Witton Lakes and Marsh Hill, and approached by a narrow lane about a third of a mile in length heading from the side of the Hare and Hounds, licensed in Marsh Lane. The accident happened while the children were playing in a sand-hole adjoining Marsh Hill.

I have not named the children, although the names can be found in the press articles. Their ages being 8 and 7, and both girls.

When the father of one of the deceased was informed that his child was buried in a fall of sand he rushed to the sand pit to help dig for his child. He had no idea that his child was going to the sand pit. The pit was easy to get to through gaps in the hedge from Witton Lakes Park. He thought his child was going to play in the sand provided by the Park authorities.

The inquest on the two children who died was held on the 26th June, and the coroner's verdict was "Accidental Death."

The father of the other deceased child said that he did not know the existence of the pit. The hedge had been broken due to children scrambling through. The owner of the pit said that the face which colapsed was about 12 feet deep and consisted of gravel, sand and soil. Other children had over-run the place and used it as a playground. Some children had actually torn up a light railway and a gateway had been removed.


The Coroner asked if people were particularly destructive in this area, and the answer was yes. The owner considered the area to be safe if there wasn't any digging. When asked if any measures had been taken to stop children entering, the owner stated that the police had cleared the place of children on several occasions.


It seems that it was the Jury that would add to the Coroner's verdict of “accident death” by adding that the owners should put the fence in such a condition as to prevent access to the sand pit.


RIP

 

[Lady Penelope]

Pedro, very tragic. My grandmother lived in Knightwick Crescent and there was a large sandy sloping area of waste land at the rear of the properties and also a 'sand pit' in the park at the back of Knightwick right-of-way and I suppose Woolmore Road? We used to play in the one in the park but I doubt we would have been allowed to do so if the above had been known. The family moved there from Upper Thomas Street during the war years and judging by the style of the houses I doubt if their property was actually built in 1929.