University of Edinburgh Archive and Manuscript Collections

Scope and Contents Autograph letter signed from Decimus Burton to Sir Charles Lyell, dated 14 May 1814: "I have considered the subject put to me in your note. I take the superficies of London, Westminster[,] Southwark, Finsbury[,] Marylebone etc. to be 16 sq. miles. I suppose the cubical mass of stone, brick & paving stone over that area to be 74,000,000 cubic yards in the Houses, Churches, Public Buildings etc. Taking the number of Houses to be 250,000 – and this would give about 5 feet thickness or...