The Floods 1897?

The most severe recent and well publicised flooding was in February 1953, but flooding is not new or unusual in Yarmouth. Those who experienced the floods of 13th. February 1938 would say that they were more severe elsewhere in the county, and even in Yarmouth itself in some ways the floods were as bad as in 1952, since the town was flooded three times in a fortnight. Had it not been for a considerable strengthening of the flood walls, there may well have been an equivalent problem on 21st. February 1993. Surges were also recorded in January 1976 and 1978, and earlier recorded dates include 1947, 1897, 1869, 1835, 1800, 1810, 1740, 1613, 1282, 1287, and 1236*3.

1905

There were certainly severe floods in 1905 (7th. Jan.), and at much earlier times there had been a building up of the river banks to keep back the sea. These sea defences are well illustrated on the pictorial map and view by Corbridge.

An earlier haven, the sixth, was thought to be responsible for severe flooding in 1557*4, and this was so bad that ships were rowed through the streets, and the Haven was deliberately blocked up so as to try to stop the sea coming in. This would have been a very significant step indeed, necessitating a new harbour and rivers mouth to be cut two years later.

Since the river and sea have been shown to be much lower in ancient time it may be thought that there was perhaps a lesser risk of flood, but the level of the town itself was some 4 metres lower, without the windblown sand and imported earth layers. Recent centuries seem to have seen mean water levels much as they are today. The well at 55 King Street, a private well for four dwellings, was sunk before 1776, certainly not any later (see the appendix, volume 5). The base of the well is of pure sand, and sand is found under the brickwork, so this is truly the full depth it always was. There is 70cm. of water in the well, and the level is never seen to vary. The brick has been marked with paint, and the water level observed over four years. If there had been less water than this then it would have been impossible to draw water with a bucket or pump. It should also be noted that the water is entirely pleasant to drink, and not at all salty. (compare Green's findings at Row 111) The bottom of the well is measured as being 7.105 metres below the datum point at the York Road/ Deneside junction. The datum point itself represents a level of 7.0043 metres above sea-level, so that the base of the well is at present 0.1 metres, or 100 cm. below sea level.

1992 flood, Haddiscoe Road cut off, and the A47 Road to Norwich, Yarmouth was a true island for a short while.

(photos MR) It should be noted that the sea was a full 16 feet above normal high tide.

The Breydon wall was in a bad state in 1880, and so in 1884 an act was passed in which a drainage board was set up, and the wall was improved. An extra rate was levied on households, but there was an outcry over this, and in 1909 a further act allowed the corporation to regulate matters. The corporation then maintained one mile of the wall, and the drainage board the other three. Between 1910 and 1912, the wall was raised, and faced with concrete.*5

1938, at Horsey, photo by P E Rumbelow.

The worst flood since 1905, occurred on Saturday February 12th. 1938. There was a fierce north-west wind, and the river began to overflow by 6 pm. in several places. Nearly the whole of Southgates road was inundated, together with Exmouth Road. Meanwhile the sea was lashing at the North and South Parades. The fish wharf was barricaded with flood boards, nevertheless it was flooded by 8pm.

North of Yarmouth, 1938 floods, PER.

From the Tavern to the Gasworks, the road was like a river, and water came up through the drains on South Quay. The most serious house flooding occurred in the vicinity of North Quay.

1938 (PER)

The home of Mr. and Mrs. Hipgrave at Fisher's Quay was invaded with water for the third time in a fortnight. Many houses had water a foot deep in their front rooms. A most amazing sight was to be seen at the home of J. Vince at Bessey's Buildings, nearest to the river. In its outer wall the house had an old water door opening onto the towpath. When the river rose around the high step it swirled in to a depth of over two feet. The door was kept locked to prevent the water rushing through the house into a passage where it would have rapidly affected all the other houses. Jets of water hissed out of the edges of the door. Another dwelling on the waterfront had water flowing past some few inches below the window glass... there had been flooding the day before, and the cellar of the Pier Hotel at Gorleston was full of water.

1938, photo PER

South of the pleasure beach, waves flew over the promenade in one long curtain of flying water. Huge seas were whipped up by the gale, some gusts reaching 90 miles per hour. Simultaneously, the sea was also breaking over a new wall at the Marina.*6

1953 flood, Blackfriars Road.

The flood which started that Saturday night around midnight of January 31st. and into the early morning of 1st. February 1953, caused the loss of nine lives at Yarmouth, with thousands of people made homeless. The situation was made considerably worse by breaches in the banks of Breydon Water, which left floods several feet deep at Southtown and Cobholm, long after the water had subsided in other parts of the town. Three thousand five hundred homes were estimated to have been flooded, and there was considerable loss of livestock on the marshes. Schools, and holiday camps were used to house the homeless, and an emergency meals service was instituted. By the following Wednesday a fleet of fire brigade pumps had arrived as well as men of the Army, R.A.F., and other workers. Paddle boats from the boating lakes were used to rescue people from Cobholm. The sea wall on North Drive had been broken up, and also a part south of the Britannia Pier. Gorleston promenade was severely damaged. Supplies of power and light had been disrupted. Wooden blocks that had survived the war as a road surface on South Quay were lifted by the flood water, and were collected by householders to be burned on their fires to help in the drying out. At that time the South Quay area was still devoid of houses, an open area interrupted only by heaps of debris and trenches for new sewer pipes, also to be seen lying about. The blocks were never replaced. Cattle rescued from the marshes were kept at The Two Bears Hotel yard.*7

The Eastern Electrisity Board was faced with an enormous problem as their generating and distribution equipment flooded and became inoperative all around the coast from the Wash to the Thames at Tilbury. They mobilised staff to deal with the crisis throughout the night. Staff were woken up in London and all over East Anglia. Two hundred and sixty three maintenance men were summoned.Hunstanton and King’s Lynn were flooded at 1900 hrs, Yarmouth at 2125, Lowestoft at 2200, Ipswich at 0050, Brightlingsea at 01.15 hrs, and Tilbury at 0100. A nightmare indeed!*8

*3 Swinden

*4 Norfolk and Suffolk weather book

*5 E.D.P. Jan.1st.1952.

*6 P.E.R., Diary,vol.13,1938.;Y.M.Feb.19th.1938.

*7 Y.M.Feb.6th.,13th.,1953.

*8 Eastern Electricity booklet, at GYCL.