Holmfirth floods

Coordinates: 53°33′34″N 1°50′44″W / 53.55944°N 1.84556°W / 53.55944; -1.84556
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

The Holmfirth floods were a number of instances when severe flooding had occurred in the

landslides
in human history.

1738

Rainstorms caused the River Holme to burst its banks and flood the valley.[1] Though there was damage to farmland there was no loss of life.

1777

Following a severe storm on Wednesday 21 July 1777 the River Holme burst its banks and flooded the valley. Three people were drowned and a stone church built in 1476 was swept away. It was rebuilt the following year with funding from local clothiers.

1821

The River Holme again flooded the valley around Holmfirth, following rainstorms on 21 September 1821, with no loss of life.

1852

Bilberry and Digley reservoirs

The 1852 flood occurred when the embankment of the Bilberry reservoir collapsed, releasing 86 million gallons of water down the River Holme. It caused 81 deaths and a large amount of damage to property in the valley leaving many homeless and without work. The buildings and structures destroyed included four mills, ten dye houses, three drying stoves, 27 cottages, seven tradesmen's houses, seven shops, seven bridges crossing the River Holme, ten warehouses, eight barns and stables.

The collapse occurred at about 1.00 am on 5 February 1852 following a period of heavy rain. The story of the flood made the front page of the London Standard newspaper.[2]

An inquest after the disaster concluded that the reservoir was "defective in its original construction" and that "the Commissioners, in permitting the Bilberry reservoir to remain in a dangerous state with the full knowledge thereof, and not lowering the waste pit, have been guilty of great and culpable negligence".

1944

On

invasion of Normandy a week later. This led to some confusion as to the exact cause of the flood but it was confirmed that Bilberry reservoir was not to blame. It was suggested that the reservoir prevented the flood from being more severe. German prisoners of war
, housed in the area, assisted with the rescue of local residents and property. There was extensive damage to properties in the valley: 17 mills, 61 shops and 109 homes were flooded.

Geoffrey Riley (1929–2005), who was aged 14 at the time of the event, was awarded the

Royal Warrant was discontinued in 1971 and he exchanged this for the George Cross at Buckingham Palace on 6 March 1973.[5]

References

  1. ^ "Cricket Heritage of Holmfirth" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 August 2009. Retrieved 3 August 2009.
  2. ^ "Holmfirth – Is there more to it than Last of the Summer Wine?". BBC.
  3. ^ "1944 weather". Archived from the original on 5 January 2007.
  4. ^ "Hitler's impact on the Great Flood of '44". Huddersfield Daily Examiner.
  5. ^ "Obituaries: Geoffrey Riley, GC". The Daily Telegraph. 20 January 2005.

Further reading

53°33′34″N 1°50′44″W / 53.55944°N 1.84556°W / 53.55944; -1.84556