E X T E N S I O N VICTORIAN TOWNS In the 19th century, during Queen Victoria s reign, many people left the countryside and went to live in the cities. Families hoped to find a house and a job in factories. So the cities became bigger and bigger. In 1851, the seven largest cities in England, excluding London, were Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Sheffield and Bradford. Countrypeople looking for a place to live and a job at the gate of a workhouse (c. 1850). This rapid expansion had many negative effects, for example, dirt1, bad smells and noise. Cities did not offer good living conditions, particularly for the poor working class. They lived in areas called slums2, while the upper and middle classes lived in the rich, elegant areas of the city. In slums there was no running water, no public lighting, no paved3 roads. The result was that diseases4 were very common. Many people died, particularly among children. Crime was a serious problem. Another problem of Victorian towns was overcrowding5: many 1. dirt: dust, earth or any substance that makes a surface not clean. 2. slum: an area of a city that is very poor and where the houses are dirty and in bad condition. 3. paved: covered with bricks or stone. 4. disease: an illness often caused by infection. 5. overcrowding: the situation when there are too many people in one place. 22