Messing About On The River

A week last Friday and Hedley (from house opposite us) had hired Wendy the Winch to remove a large willow tree that had come down in the floods at the start of the month.

He owns the stretch of the river that runs from approximately opposite the end of our house to the bridge. We have all had concerns at the debris that has now been trapped at the bridge for over a year and getting worse with each flood. He was not sure if it was his problem or that of the council as obviously he does not own the bridge itself. Paul suggested he phoned them and they would know which department to contact.

So this Friday we had more boys toys at the river. The council were here with a JCB. The only real danger of floods reaching any of the houses here is if the bridge gets dammed. Of more concern to the man from the council was the risk of the debris forcing the water to cut another channel and weakening the bridge itself...

The 2008 Whiteadder Floods at Todheugh

The rain water drains at the bottom of our drive had backed up yesterday causing a large puddle by lunchtime. By the afternoon walk it was up to the verge. When Penny came over in the early evening it was starting to get deep and she was worried about getting out again. When we took the dogs out late at night we soon realised by the light of our torches that we were not wading across the verge but were actually walking in the rockery. This was the view this morning...


We escaped via the extremely muddy building site and walked back to see how much of the road was under water...



We then walked down to the path by the river. One of the straw bales from Margaret's field next to the river had made a bid for freedom...


We then walked up to the view point at the top of the hill to see the full extent of the flooded fields.


Margaret's field half under water. I wonder how many straw bales have actually made it all the way out to sea...



The field below Blanerne House had not been harvested. I don't know how much will be able to be salvaged.


I ventured back out after a cup of coffee to try to get to the bridge. I did not even get to the bottom of the drive before the water was up to the top of my wellies. Not deterred I went the back route from behind our garden sheds, via the old quarry coming out on the road just behind Karen's house.

The water stopped at the bottom of the hill so I could make my way around it to the bridge.

The water was over the top of the buttresses. Luckily it did not look as if too much debris had been lodged in the bridge.





It could have been a lot worse - there is quite a log jam in amongst the trees on the submerged island upstream. Of course, these could still free themselves...


View East from the bridge...





View West from the bridge...


The water on the road had receded about a metre when I walked back, but I soon found out that I was not going to be able to wade through it and had to retrace my route via the quarry.


I have repeated the view from an upstairs window for a comparison with yesterday photograph...

Despite the fact that it has been raining most of the morning the water levels are dropping quite quickly. I have just taken the dogs out and the verge is no longer under water, although the road still is but is passable if driving slowly. The field in the top left corner of the above photograph now looks merely puddly, draining rapidly back into the river via a mini waterfall. The straw bale is now high and dry. There is a lot of debris dumped along the other side of the road, ranging from tree trunks to plastic bottles.

Mighty Muddy Whitadder

Four photographs stitched together to create panoramic view.
View from path down to river.


An interesting fish-eye effect with this panoramic view from an upstairs window - the road is actually straight...

Summer Is Here

It rained all day yesterday.
It rained throughout the night.
It is still raining today.
It looks as if it will never stop...

I ventured out to photograph the river, but its true extent was not visible from the garden. The above photo was taken from the bedroom window.
We have our very own water splash at the bottom of the drive.

The builders came yesterday morning and then went away again. I don't blame them.
Surprisingly they are here at the moment, battering away at the new doorway by the sound of it.
The work on the steel frame is at a standstill.