The heavy rains of the week-end, of Sunday morning especially, caused the most extensive flooding in some parts of Northamptonshire for over 40 years. Since the serious floods of Christmas week the river Nene has been very high, and after the volume of water which fell on Sunday the Nene Valley was simply a vast sheet of water for many miles around.
At many points the railway line was submerged. In the Wellingborough district the rush of water demolished a wall 50 yards long. Many roads were rendered impassable, and thousands of acres were under water. For a day or two some of the smaller villages around Northamptonshire were isolated.
The worst flood almost within memory is reported from the Irthlingborough district, where by-roads have been impassable to all foot traffic, and some even to vehicles.
Between Higham Ferrers and Irthlingborough on Monday the water was over the road for a distance of 15 yards at Chown’s Mill and Stanwick-road, so that ’buses passing through were splashed right up to the windscreen. The water was then about two feet deep in places. A young lady living at the Mill and working at Higham was unable to get home on Monday and had to return and find accommodation for the night at Higham Ferrers. We understand that at the mill the water was some way up the stairs and that the occupants had to wade through it in top-boots to get to bed! From this point to the old L.N.W.R. station the floods were very bad, and part of the property at the Fitzwilliam Arms had to be boarded up. The water subsided somewhat on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Stanwick-road between Irthlingborough station and the village became so flooded that it was only with difficulty that any traffic could get through at one spot. All the approaches to the Stanwick Mill were flooded.
Rushden largely escaped, being of such a formation that only a comparatively small portion is down to the level of the Nene Valley. About 20 yards of Duck-street and Wellingborough-road were flooded on Sunday to the depth of a few inches, and Manning’s-lane, at the south end of the town, was flooded up to mid-day on Sunday, but the water subsided later in the day. One or two houses had water in the lower rooms.
Wine Vaults Flooded
At the Crown and Anchor Inn, Little Irchester, the popular riverside inn and pleasure craft establishment, the wine vaults were soon flooded until the tops of the casks were only just visible. The casks were resting on a 2ft. dias, so that the depth of water was 4ft. 6in.
Mr Herbert Shaw, the occupant, was concerned for the welfare of his boats. The pontoon was floating about, and two craft moored near the bridge had got away.
At Wymington floods on the lower road (below Mr Abbott’s house) were some feet deep. Under the bridge a motor-car was unable to be driven ahead owing to the depth of the water. Some pigs were able to wade through the village street, and cars looked more like paddle-boats, with their dash-boards level with the water! The water soon disappeared when the rain ceased.
|
