A Night in a Stinking Victorian Doss House in 19th Century London

Disgusting Lodging Houses were places only the very poorest Victorians slept. Stinky and noisy - they were dirt cheap! This was because nobody would stay in them if they had another choice. A 19th Century night in one of London's doss houses might help you avoid the cold and wet, but you might well lose more than the few pennies it cost - for thieves might steal your money, as well as your clothes and boots. You might also be kept awake all night by coughing and leave with the same cough the next day as a gift. Find out about some of the worst doss houses and what a night's stay was like in one of the better ones in this genuine contemporary account from Jack London.