Annals of Yorkshire

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Annals of Yorkshire

 

 

1866.-AUGUST

It was 35 years since any approach to the scene of desolation witnessed this day in the fertile vales of North Yorkshire had occurred.  The constant rains of the last fortnight, culminating in an enormous rainfall, carried destruction along the course of every river.  Every valley suffered from flood, more or less; but the greatest destruction was in Ryedale and along the Rye tribu­taries.  In the upper part of the wide vale a great lake was formed by the, river’s Rye and Riccal, which met, completely overflowing the whole intermediate country, inundating houses, and rendering roads impassable.

Nunnington suffered most, from this disaster whole crops of stacked corn being floated away.  The Kirkdale beck-always impetuous-rose with unexampled rapidity, and the ford was no longer safe.  A pony and cart, with two persons in it, were carried some distance, and, rescued, with difficulty.  Some other narrow escapes occurred here.  The Farndale beck rose equally quick, and at Yawdsworth Mill much timber was carried away and 3 newly-built house washed down. 

At Sinnington, the Seven flooded the village, and floated large timber about in great confu­sion.  Mr. Carter, of Kirby Moorside, with another gentleman, on horseback; were obliged, to return to Pickering, and took refuge in an inn near the bridge.  The house being full, they were compelled to sit by the fire till daylight, but the water entered during the night and flooded the house, confining the inmates to upper story, necessaries having to be given them from the street.  The low part of the town of Pickering was much flooded.  Between Kirby Moorside and Malton, miles of roads were flooded, and the inhabitants were prisoners in their houses in various places.

At Marton the water was five feet deep in the village, and nothing was left uncovered save the large tree on the village green.  From Normanby, corn was floated out of the fields as far as Barugh Hill, three miles.  The damage in Ryedale was very great. Not only corn fields, but pastures in splendid trim were underwater, and stock were standing belly deep in the flooded lands.  By some accident the self acting clough in the Rye had been propped open, and in consequence the flood obtained access to Old Malton Moor, which for the first time since the enclosure, half a century ago was flooded.

Farmers were busy fishing for their corn ricks in the flood waters.  At Norton all the pastures were overflowed, and much property was destroyed in the brickfields.  Hundreds of acres were flooded by the bursting of the banks above Newsham.  At Malton, the Crystal Brewery and some other business places were flooded.  The bridge near Gros­mont became a total wreck, and a stationary engine erected to pump the water from the coffer dam of the intended new bridge was washed away.  The traffic of the Malton and Whitby, and North Yorkshire and Cleveland lines was seriously impeded.

 

Researched by Bernie 2005

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