I was looking through the old newspapers (again!) and came across this description of Whittington, not entirely a glowing description! I have transcribed it as the copy was very poor.
The description is taken from :
DR THORNE THORNE’S REPORT TO THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD ON A PREVALANCE OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES IN THE REGISTRATION DISTRICT OF CHESTERFIELD AND THE SANITARY CONDITION OF THE DISTRICT.
Whittington lies to the North of Chesterfield and is topographically divided into New Whittington, Old Whittington and Whittington Moor, the latter only being separated from Newbold-cum-Dunston by a roadway. At the last census the population was 5578.
?? but a swing to the extension of coal mining expectations in the vicinity it is believed since to have increased to nearly 7000. In May last, the local Government Act was adopted for the entire parish. By far the greater portion of the district has the same water supply as the town of Chesterfield, but in parts of New and Old Whittington water is derived from polluted wells and from rain water tanks, or it is procured from neighbouring field ponds. No portion of this parish is provided with a proper system of sewerage; there are mains drains in some parts, and though some are structurally very imperfect, yet others are stated to be efficient, but the outfall is into roadside ditches and streams, or into cesspits and disused coal workings. Some of the sewerage of Newbold-cum-Dunston flows through Whittington towards and into the Rother. As elsewhere throughout this district the midden privvies are so constructed as of necessity to be a source of nuisance, and there is an absence of any proper system for the regular removal of their contents. Piggeries are also so kept as to be a nuisance.
Some of the streets which have not been adopted by the local Board of Health are in a very neglected state, and although the majority of the houses are well constructed, yet, in some instances, they have been built back to back. The lodging houses are un-registered, and some of them are very much overcrowded. In one room having a capacity of only 770 cubit feet, sic persons were found to sleep every night; but at times the number was increased ??, for owing to the ‘double shift’ system adopted in many collieries, one set of colliers occupy beds by day, in which others have passed the night, and on Saturday and Sunday nights, when work is discontinued in the pits, both night and day tenants often sleep together.
Derbyshire Times/Chesterfield Herald 4 July 1874
Old Whittington One Place Study 