The Great Stink: When London Reeked of Desperation

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So close your eyes and imagine this: you're trapped inside a porta potty at the peak of summer—it's hot, humid, and full. Now imagine the entire city of London smelling like that for weeks. That was real life in the summer of 1858.

In this nose-wrinkling, eye-watering episode of Info On The Go, Kat and William take you deep into the putrid heart of one of the most revolting public health disasters in history: The Great Stink of London.

What caused it?
 A boiling River Thames turned open sewer. Overflowing cesspools. Exploding methane gas. A government nearly run out of its own Parliament building by the stench. Working-class families choking on toxic air, while Victorian doctors blamed “bad smells” for deadly diseases like cholera.

And then—enter a hero: Joseph Bazalgette, the man who turned filth into function with a sewer system so well-built, it still serves London today.

You'll hear:

• How the Thames turned from a source of life into a death trap
• The tragic and absurd moments, like fainting MPs and a woman knocked out by the river’s fumes mid-suicide attempt
• Why cholera outbreaks changed everything
• The engineering marvel that saved a city from drowning in its own waste
• And some gross, hilarious, and weird facts from the river’s murky past—including polar bears, pirate ghosts, and sewer pigs!

From disease and despair to innovation and infrastructure, The Great Stink wasn’t just a public health disaster—it was a turning point in modern sanitation, urban planning, and human resilience.

So plug your nose and press play—this one stinks, in the best way possible.

Thank You for listening and Stay curious,
Kat & William

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