A historic site that played an instrumental part in preventing the spread of a killer disease will have its past explored thanks to a Heritage Lottery Fund grant.

The Seething Wells water works was one of the first sites to supply London with clean water in the 19th century.

Doctor John Snow made the link between spread of cholera and polluted water at the same time that Seething Wells was built and used it as evidence to prove his theory.

The filter bed site is currently part of controversial plans to introduce floating housing and a nature reserve to Surbiton, and residents are looking to learn more.

Surbiton-based community interest company, the Community Brain, has won a £47,800 grant to run the project and is looking for volunteers to research the history and engineering at the site.

Project officer Howard Benge said: "Seething Wells is a real testament to the 19th century engineers and inventors, who piped fresh water from Surbiton to London.

"We want to find out how the filter beds and pumping stations functioned, who worked there and what the impact was on the local area. This will mean delving into archives and recording what is there on the site.

"It will be a chance for people to really get under the skin of researching a historic site."

Results from the research will be pulled together and presented to the public later in the year.

If you are interested, a public meeting takes place at the Surbiton library annexe on Monday, July 4, at 7.45pm.

Visit seethingwellswater.org for more information.