The Great Stour Project - River and Coastal Flooding

East Kent Mercury

FRIDAY 6 FEBRUARY, 1953

SEA INVASION CAUSES SERIOUS DAMAGE

Although Deal and district were less seriously hit than other parts of the East Coast during the weekend gales, damage was nevertheless extremely serious, running into tens of thousands of pounds.

A west-nor’-west gale blowing directly off the land on Saturday night brought tremendous waves crashing over the sea wall fetching hundreds of tons of shingle with it. Sea and wind played havoc with the sea wall promenade and sea front properties in the heaviest sea storm that Deal has experienced for many years. Last weekend will certainly go down in the annals of the borough as one of the worst inundations by the sea that Deal has known. A general opinion among the older inhabitants puts 1897 as the last storm of such magnitude.

Water poured like mountain streams down every side street off the sea front, and in many instances it reached depths of several inches in the centre of the roads as well as in the gutters.

CANTERBURY, Jan. 10.

By the heavy rains which fell on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday last, the River Stour, which runs through this city, was swelled to such an amazing degree, that the oldest inhabitant does not remember such a sudden and surprising inundation, as happened on Monday morning, and continued rising till between five and six o’clock in the evening, which broke the banks in many places above the city, making free passage through houses and gardens, so that all the houses in the streets next the river were upwards of four feet deep in water. It came on so suddenly, that many of the cellars and low rooms were full before any of the moveables could be taken away. The inhabitants were obliged to betake themselves to their bedchambers for safety, and many families were under the necessity of leaving their habitations. Stour street, Lamb lane, Best lane, Beercart lane, Hawke’s lane, St. Peter’s street, St. Dunstan’s and Cock lane, with part of the High street was one continued river of water; and the current rang so extremely strong through North lane, that it has done considerable damage to the pavement, as likewise to the foundations of several houses, particularly to that of Mr. Tilbie, grocer, at the corner, (whose goods are much damaged) and the two adjoining houses towards the gate. Mr. Slaughter, tanner, and Mr. Brown, currier, have likewise suffered much by the waters breaking in at their storehouses, and tearing down the buildings adjoining the river. Most of the outhouses in North lane were torn to pieces. Had this flood happened in the night, the consequences would have been of the most alarming nature. Happily, only one person’s life is lost that has yet been heard of, who is one Henry Penn, a gardener; he insisted on going through the water from St. Dunstan’s, notwithstanding the intreaties of many people to persuade him to the contrary: in the evening he stripped, and had got as far as Cock lane, when the strength of the current threw him down, and drove him through North lane into the river at Dean’s Mill, and yesterday morning his body was taken up at Shoal Oak. Carts, waggons, and boats, were in the streets all the day, to convey the inhabitants to places of safety, as likewise to supply those with necessities that were confined to the upper parts of their houses. The arches of the bridge which leads from Prince of Orange Lane to St. Peter’s Friars, have given way, and it is supposed it will fall in. Mr. Cooper, dyer, in Stour street, is a very great sufferer, by the waters breaking into his workshop, and damaging many articles. The publicans in general are much injured, their cellars being full of water. By yesterday noon the water had left  the streets; but by the confusion which still prevails among the inhabitants is so great, that their losses cannot as yet be ascertained.

Extract from the Kentish Gazette, 6 February, 1776

CANTERBURY FLOOD DISASTER

ELEVEN STREETS INUNDATED

Hundreds Imprisoned in Upper Floors

SUPPLIES BY BOATS AND CARTS

Tremendous Damage in Poor Districts

Like a bolt from the blue came the great flood of 1927. There have been other floods in recent times - 18 and 40 years ago - but none in living memory to compare with the calamity which this week has befallen Canterbury and the neighbourhood.

On Boxing Night householders went to bed unsuspecting that next morning, when they awoke, the first sight that would meet their eyes would be their furniture floating in the flood which had silently invaded the lower floors.

The cause of this remarkable phenomenon is a combination of circumstances. The thaw of Christmas week, followed by nearly four inches of rain in seven days created an immense volume of water, which started the flooding on the low-lying lands before Christmas. As the water came down from the upper reaches, the easterly gale hindered its natural course to the sea and also induced a high tidal effect, which resulted in the astounding conditions of Tuesday.

The usually placid Stour turned in a night into a raging torrent, which burst the banks and flooded all the streets in the vicinity. In a few hours it reached a peak height of nearly six feet above its normal level - with disastrous results. The whole Stour Valley was a vast lake of varying width. At Thanington and Fordwich it was at least a mile wide. At the moment one can only say vaguely that the damage must run into thousands of pounds.

The streets affected in Canterbury were St. Peter’s Place, St. Peter’s Lane, St. Radigund’s Street, Black Griffin Lane, North Lane, Westgate Grove, Linden Grove, The Friars, Mill Lane, Pound Lane, Wincheap Grove and All Saints’ Lane and Square.

We are officially informed that the water rose to a height of 5ft. 2in. above normal at the Westgate bridge on Tuesday.