THE East BriWstol & NoErth EaEst SomK erset IN THE GREAT FLOOD OF 1968 50th Anniversary Special Edition

Dapps Hill bridge

It had not been a very good over six hours on ground that was afternoon at the Brook and down to the next bridge. summer. By July 1968, fields already sodden – more than four Stream which join the Next in the firing line were across the countryside of Devon times the average monthly total. at . , , , and were already There were eyewitness reports of Contrary to rumours which and Chewton saturated by weeks of unseasonal ‘sheet run-off’ from fields and ‘tidal circulated shortly after the disaster, . At Pensford, the A37 rain. It was about to get a whole waves’ of water following bridge Reservoir was not road bridge was submerged and then lot worse. collapses along the normally overtopped but the sheer volume of swept away, cutting the village in Rain had been falling for much of tranquil River Chew. The water on these two tributaries two. Bizarrely, the bridge at the day on Wednesday 10th July as a consequences were widespread overwhelmed the village of Chew Compton Dando withstood the storm tracked its way from Brittany devastation and near apocalyptic Magna. Accounts of ‘tidal waves’ onslaught and, along with Chewton towards Lincolnshire and then scenes in many areas. Eight people were in fact a consequence of Keynsham, suffered comparatively ultimately the Netherlands. As it hit lost their lives, 11 bridges in ‘damming’ at bridges like the one little flood damage. the South West coast, it increased Somerset were swept away and over Winford Brook. Built on But if that was a mercy, the same dramatically in intensity during the hundreds of people found their parapets, they collected much of the could not be said about Keynsham. afternoon and evening, provoking homes demolished or severely trees and debris and acted as a dam Dapps Hill, Bath Hill, Mill thunder storms across East Devon damaged as flood levels reached as to the rising water until such time as Lane and the historic County Bridge and Somerset. 175mm (6.8in) of high as 5.5m (18ft). they could withstand no more – rain fell in the Chew Valley in just The problems began in late allowing a wall of water to cascade Continued on next page A night that changed lives forever

The devastation in the Memorial Park in Keynsham

Continued from front cover Square, where passengers had to be rescued from a double-decker bus by boat. all fell victim to the torrent while tragedy Much of suffered from drains and struck with three of the four occupanCtasr so sf ua bmerged in the River Chew gutters which couldn’t cope with the volumes car dying after it was swept off the Bath Hill of water or small brooks which overflowed. bridge. Properties adjacent to the bridge were Bedminster was virtually a lake and the Wills flooded to over six feet while residents of tobacco factory suffered severe damage and a cottages in Dapps Hill had to be rescued from loss of stock. Hartcliffe was the scene of their roofs in many cases. another fatality that night. A 30-year-old man The River Avon suffered similar problems as Cars submerged in the River Chew was swept away while trying to help two tributaries overflowed. Factory workers in passengers in a stranded car. Bitton had to be rescued from the roof while Further afield, large parts of East Devon were the River Boyd swept away the parapet of the effectively cut off as bridges were swept bridge at Kings Square. The Warmley Brook away. This was high summer and in an era smashed through Willsbridge Mill, sweeping before motorways, the A30 was the main cars out of the Queens Head car park trunk road between London and the West opposite. Brislington Brook became a torrent, Country. Cars submerged in the River Chew flooding much of the low-lying areas and

This supplement has been made possible by the contributions of stories and pictures by many individuals who remember 10th July 1968. We are also grateful to the Russell Leitch photo collection, Bitton Local History Group and the Keynsham & Local History Society, in particular Donald Ogg, for their assistance. We also acknowledge the role played by Terry Staples’ book, The Great Flood of ‘68 which brought together reports, personal testimony and newspaper cuttings from the time. In his introduction he admitted that he only wrote it after realising so many years after the event, that nobody else had done so. As a result, he preserved for history a record of the horror and the bravery of that time. The book is long out of print but copies can still be found at specialist second-hand retailers. Shortly after his death almost a decade ago, his family found one last box of 50 or so unsold copies in his attic. At the time, The Week In helped former Keynsham fireman Mike Portlock, one of only two remaining from the 1968 crew, to sell them, with proceeds going to the Fire Brigrade Benevolent Fund.

in 2 The Week • The Great Flood Supplement - 11th July 2018 A night that changed lives forever Les Baker, who was a reporter based in Keynsham at the time, shares his memories of the Great Flood

Wednesday July 10 was a fairly one rope around his waist and a normal day as district reporter of spare to attach to the car as the the Bath Chronicle and Keynsham firemen pulled the other end. He Weekly Chronicle at the branch got within three feet of the car office in Temple Street. when a sudden surge of water It rained all day and continued into swept it away towards the river. the evening. At the end of my day The young man who had been at shift, I went home to tea in the wheel was found in the park by Kingswood because there was a the RAF who dropped a dinghy to council committee meeting in the him. The bodies of his girlfriend evening. On the journey back to and his parents were missing. His Keynsham the rain became heavier mother’s body was recovered from but the meeting went ahead as the Avon at Hanham a fortnight normal. later and that of his father at Around 8.30pm the council Avonmouth. About two years later surveyor Fred Bryan had a I was at Keynsham police station telephone call and left the meeting, when I was asked to go to a back I realised that something was up room where a muddy blue handbag Les Baker and left too. By this time, the fire and contents were on the table. brigade opposite my office had This had been found by workmen office was turned into an “Right Mr Reporter, do you think it gone down to St Georges Road to clearing silt in the river by Avon information point and also is safe to walk across there?” I said deal with some minor flooding. I Mill Lane bridge. received furniture and other stuff I was willing to have a go with checked the ground floor of my Returning home to Kingswood on to help affected families. George him. We picked our way around office because rainwater tended to the night of the flood, I drove Ashton, council clerk, set up a the holes in the road surface, with come in from the rear garden and I along Station Road towards the Flood Relief Fund the river running below, and got moved my newspaper files to a dry river and upon reaching the for the victims over a wide area. back safely. I did not realise that spot. County Bridge I managed to drive Workers at Fry’s helped dry out his security man and CI David I heard there were problems on across despite the blinding rain. As carpets in their boiler rooms and Shattock were watching. Bath Hill Bridge and found the I drove over it I saw a large top also handed out free chocolate to The next day I went to the police firemen trying to reach a car stone disappearing into the river rescue workers and Army station as usual to be met by a very stranded in the middle with four but the bridge remained intact at engineers building the Bailey angry Mr Shattock who accused people inside. Parapets of the that point. When I returned to bridges. me of putting the Duke’s life in bridge had gone and floodwater Keynsham early the next day, the When the Duke of Edinburgh danger. I let him rant on for a few was pouring across the road. bridge had almost disappeared and visited Keynsham a few days later minutes and then asked if I could Because of the strength of the flow, I had to make a detour via Bath. I had an amusing incident with him say something. I said: “When you they were unable to get a rope to At the police conference I was told as he stood with other dignitaries have come down off the wall, there the vehicle until Wilf Snook, that police officer Mike Hedges on Bath Hill, inspecting the is one point you have missed, landlord of the Trout, volunteered had rescued stranded families at damage. I was standing on the David.” I told him I agreed it was a to give a go because of his weight. Dapps Hill and he later received a edge of the damaged bridge when I stupid thing to do, but it was not Wilf waded across to the car with bravery award. The Chronicle was joined by HRH. He asked: my idea in the first place…

Brian Davies was away from Keynsham at the time of the Wilf Snook, a Keynsham publican, was involved in one of the first rescue attempts on flood on a youth training visit to the USA. Bath Hill bridge. “I was struggling to keep my footing against the current in chest-high “I had just returned to my lodgings and was feeling water when I was struck from behind. I looked to see what had hit me and it was a beer somewhat out of place after my first week in Washington. barrel. I could see a large old-fashioned solid wooden butcher’s bench, presumably I switched on the TV to see the evening news to keep from Harry Olds’ shop, being tossed around as if it weighed nothing. abreast with world events when to my astonishment “Shortly after that I heard a tremendous crashing noise from under the bridge and saw and Keynsham were mentioned as having been the battered remains of a caravan shooting to the surface. It had been forced through hit by severe floods. It must have been the first time that Keynsham made international news.” one of the arches of the bridge!”

in The Week • The Great Flood Supplement - 11th July 2018 3 KEYNSHAM

Bath Hill

According to Terry Staples’ they delivered the rescued telephone lines as well. The account, the first signs of people to Keynsham Police crew headed for Pensford trouble came around 7pm. Station and the crew were via Hursley Hill, only to Keynsham Fire Brigade was asked to respond to calls find the A37 bridge put on alert standby from Pensford of people submerged and the trapped following reports of minor trapped in their homes by people on the other side of flooding in St Georges rising flood water. the river. They decided to Road. About an hour later, By this time, Keynsham double back and approach they were called out to station had been given from the side but Stockwood Vale to assist orders to ‘act on reaching Keynsham, that members of the public independently’ as the storm was far as they would get stranded by flood water had already played havoc that night. The County Bridge before the storm which by now was around with radio communications A Ford Zephyr with four three to four feet deep. It from county HQ and was occupants had been swept adjacent to Bath Hill bridge. They then lifted the stricken was shortly after 10pm that now bringing down off Bath Hill bridge by the With water already couple out of their flat and force of the water. One of submerging the ground onto the roof where they had them was Alexandra Giles floors, one couple who lived to wait until the water levels from . She was above Olds’ butcher shop receded. PC Hedges had travelling in the car with her were trapped. At around earlier stripped and swum fiancée Charles Kaye from 3am, 20-year-old PC Mike across the river at Dapps Huddersfield and his Hedges and boat owner Mr Hill to rescue a family with parents. After five hours Sutton attempted to rescue young children from one of clinging to a tree, he was the couple from the first- the cottages. rescued by an RAF team floor window into the boat Downstream, a third bridge from Colerne. Tragically, but the raging current which carried Avon Mill his three fellow passengers overturned it and almost Lane was completely swept perished. swept them away. The two away under the pressure of Another disaster was luckily somehow managed to cling water and much of the avoided nearby at the shops on the side of the house and debris struck the historic clamber up on to the roof. County Bridge – the in 4 The Week • The Great Flood Supplement - 11th July 2018 KEYNSHAM boundary between Somerset Keynsham was cut in two. Queens Road Methodist and Gloucestershire. The Much of the town was Church to provide food and centre parapet was washed without electricity and the dry clothing for those forced away exposing, but sewage pumping station in to evacuate their homes. thankfully not damaging, the Memorial Park lay under On Friday 12th July, county mains gas pipe. inches of thick slime and council engineers declared By dawn the waters had mud. that Dapps Hill bridge was receded and it was time to On Thursday morning two safe enough for pedestrians review the damage. With its emergency reception centres to cross. A pedestrian route bridges washed away or had been opened – at was also opened through severely damaged, Broadlands School and Keynsham Park and across The County Bridge after the flood

the bypass. Railings were the flood. removed and a temporary It was 25th July before a bus stop erected while work Bailey bridge was erected began on a Bailey bridge for across the River Avon, Bath Hill. The Army moved saving workers at Fry’s who in on Sunday 14th July and lived north of the river a 10- the bridge was open to mile detour. By the time a traffic on the Tuesday permanent replacement was morning. A year later, the erected three years later, the Bailey bridge at Pensford decision had been taken to was moved into a temporary straighten the old road and position further upstream as bypass the narrow canal work began to demolish the bridge (outside the Lock remains of Bath Hill bridge Keeper today). and replace it with the This involved deepening and The temporary bus stop on the bypass current structure which was realigning the River Avon completed two years after below the weir. 0th July to respond to re alerted at around 10.55pm on 1 “The Keynsham firemen we e their home by flood water. After th le where a family were trapped in Stockwood Va tion. were taken to Keynsham Police Sta firemen assisted them to safety, they o to Pensford where the River Chew e station, the firemen were told to g Returning to th as the bridge , but on arrival they could not help had trapped people in their houses away. It was decided to divert via 37 over the Chew had been swept carrying the A appliance got d, but upon reaching Keynsham the Keynsham, Marksbury and Chelwoo ter at Bath Hill bridge. stuck in flood wa ll off the bridge with the occupants sti were then told a car had been swept “The firemen ent to the park from the stranded appliance and w inside so they took some equipment a tree. where they saw two men stranded in e had arrived and it was from the City of Bristol Fire Brigad “At this time a water tender n r. The tender, with a seconded firema and get it to the other side of the rive decided to try nity Road and ks Gate, the bypass, Bath Road, U from Keynsham, proceeded via Hic the river. A Bristol fireman attempted , parking on Avon Road overlooking Gaston Avenue the older man ed back after a couple of yards. Then to swim to the tree but had to be pull e helpless firemen. ld and was swept away in front of th lost his ho launched olerne with a rubber boat. They RAF rescue team arrived from C “The r oars, they managed to -running current and guided by thei upstream and using the fast d overturned. The four rescuers ha man into the boat but it then was get the other n river but got scued man. They were all swept dow lifejackets and had put one on the re out safely. n returning, they went to their fire station and got a boat. O “The Bristol crew went back . a family from a first-floor bedroom e to Dapps Hill where they rescued with their guid n to remain on the Keynsham crew were stood dow They then returned to their base and station.” am Fire Brigade, in 1968 Mike Portlock, member of Keynsh in The Week • The Great Flood Supplement - 11th July 2018 5 Above: The Bailey bridge at Bath Hill Left: Bottom of Gooseberry Hill

KEYNSHAM

Keynsham Fire Brigade in 1968 Station Officer Bob Calvey Deputy Station Officer Dick Fox Firemen Eric Church, Arthur Burford, Cecil ‘Snowy’ Hembrow, Les Johnson, Terry Evans, Les Ricketts, Michael Sweet, Robin Brock, Mike Portlock, Jim Smith and Cadet Fireman Pete Snook

Above: The Duke of Edinburgh visited Keynsham on Monday 15th July. He visited Dapps Hill and Bath Hill, speaking to residents and thanking helpers and military personnel before travelling to Pensford. “I was told it was bad, but this is absolute chaos,” he told reporters in 6 The Week • The Great Flood Supplement - 11th July 2018 KEYNSHAM

Above: A fire engine from complete with boat outside Keynsham Fire Station Left: The confluence of the Chew and the Avon with the new road bridge near the Lock Keeper pub

Michael Burford, Keynsham “The sky was a strange grey/cream colour with an eerie light behind the clouds. The rain was heavier than any I had ever seen and was dropping vertically out of the sky. The lightning was spectacular and after forking towards the ground, seemed to hang in the air before disappearing. My theory is that the sheer volume of water in the air was acting as a mirror and reflecting the flashes.” Peter Clarke, who was travelling home to Keynsham on Wednesday night “As we were crossing the County Bridge I was amazed to see water pouring over the upstream parapet wall, level with the windows of my car. Knowing that the normal water level is almost 20 feet lower, I found this sight incredible to say the least. Shortly after I reached the Keynsham side, the bridge was washed away and I think I was probably one of the last people to cross it.”

in The Week • The Great Flood Supplement - 11th July 2018 7 THE CHEW VALLEY

severely affected. The quick effect of increasing the was deemed passable on thinking and heroism of the speed of the torrent and the foot. warden Charles Gill ensured level of water which spilled The A37 reopened on there were no serious into the village behind the Sunday 14th July after a casualties, and further along two bridges which were 110ft Bailey bridge was Silver Street, the Queen’s acting as dams. Even completed in just over 30 Arms pub was also the properties in the Barton, hours. The following year it scene of extraordinary which stands seven metres was dismantled and sent to heroism. above the river, were Keynsham while a According to Terry Staples, flooded as a result and more permanent road bridge was timber and rubble crashed than 40 houses were constructed across the A37. through the ground floor of flooded. The frontage of the Ironically, the traffic CHEW MAGNA the fire station itself the pub, sending the 15th century Bridge House diversion which was put in With Winford Brook and the succumb to flooding and as landlady and customers to also collapsed. place during the River Chew swollen by the waters rose, the officer seek safety upstairs. In the Pensford’s two bridges were construction involved several feet and carrying left behind to man the cottage next door, William both submerged by 10pm on crossing the old 15th trees and debris in their telephone had to seek refuge Ridge was swept away by Wednesday, cutting the century bridge upstream wake, Chew Magna was on top of the tender. the rushing water and was village in two and blocking which had survived the simply overwhelmed. In Homes throughout the clinging for his life to the normally busy A37 initial flooding. early evening, the village’s village were flooded, a total railings at the back of the between Bristol and the OOLLARD retained firemen were sent of 88 of which a dozen later pub. The landlady’s son South Coast. That bridge W Terry Staples wrote: “A out to flooded properties in had to be demolished. As Alan Flower managed to finally gave way in the early number of properties in surrounding villages but well as the fire station, the swim to Mr Ridge and hours but surprisingly the Publow and Woollard found the roads impassable church hall and school were secure a rope around him older bridge 50 metres were flooded to a depth of and had to turn back – only submerged and the old and he was pulled to safety. upstream survived. When several feet. In one, a to find that the situation in people’s bungalows just off the waters receded the ENSFORD bungalow at Woollard, Chew Magna was even Silver Street, which had P following day, the bridge The narrowing valley at Charlie Duckett, a 73-year- worse. A dramatic irony saw only been completed a (minus its parapet walls) couple of years earlier, were Pensford had the double old retired Pensford miner,

Above and top left: The clear-up begins at the old people’s bungalows just off Silver Street. Charlie Gill rescued all the residents single hended except for one couple who refused to leave and spent the night standing on the kitchen table.

Opposite page: Terry Staples credits the Keynsham Chronicle for his picture of Charlie Duckett leading the parade across the new Bailey Bridge at Woollard.

in 8 The Week • The Great Flood Supplement - 11th July 2018 THE CHEW VALLEY

ex-Civil Defence volunteers Regiment from Scotland at from Keynsham under the the opening of the leadership of Eric Williams replacement – an 80ft long had just commenced a Bailey bridge which they rescue attempt when a had just built. helicopter arrived. They “After cutting the were able to attract the ceremonial ribbon to the attention of the helicopter cheers of villagers and crew and direct them to the drinking a toast to the new bungalow which was still bridge from a silver bowl completely surrounded by filled with whisky, he led a fast-flowing water. A crew pipe band in full ceremonial member was lowered and dress across it.” Mr Duckett was winched to OMPTON ANDO safety. C D The bridge, like the old one “Adjacent to Mr Duckett’s in Pensford, survived the bungalow the road bridge torrent and houses on higher over the River Chew was ground were unaffected. washed away. A week later, The road through the village on Thursday 18th July, Mr was submerged under three spent a terrifying night 18-inch air space between and his roof. Duckett was the guest of feet of water, as was the pub clinging to the rafters in the the swirling muddy waters “At about 5am a team of five honour of the 71st Engineer and the village hall. “ I was working at Fairfield Nurse ries, run by Mr Tony Hiron and Wednesday aft his wife, on that rose by almost 20 inches as a result of an ernoon to earn some pocket money as a 14-year-old and learn some garden estimated 471 million gallons of water it absorbed. At the time skills. I was due to leave scho ing ol at 15 to start work as a gardener. W Bristol Waterworks estimated it could have accommodated the e had been working in the greenho uses when the rain started. The sky same amount again before the reservoir would have risked really strange started to turn a colour when the thunder and lightn over-spilling. ing started – something I had never before nor since. The rain seen got heavier and the Butham Lane t nurse hat runs to the side of the ry started to flood with water runni ng off Chew Hill and Blacklands Hi rose to 18 to 20 inc lls. The water hes deep at which point the owner’s s on decided to take me home to Lower Batch where my mother and fathe r (Charlie and Vera Gill) were warde bungalows. ns of the old people’s “We attempted to go via Silver Street onto the B3130 Bristol Road Lane but and back into Norton the water was too deep. So we backtr acked and just managed to negotiate water by the junior sch the deep ool back to the nursery. I had to sp d end the night there and several ays after as our home was flooded t o about four inches above the firepla “My ce. father was at home on his own when the floods started as my mother and visiting relatives i brother were n Pensford. They left to return hom e but a landslide on the B3130 at stopped them. They had to stay with the owners of Model Farm “M for the night. y father had to rescue many of the r esidents from the old people’s bunga them to a bungalo lows and take w on higher ground, wading waist d eep through water to do so. The lady next door to our house was the first t o be rescued. She had an artificial le time for her to g but there was no put it on. One couple who refused to leave their property ended up havin stand on their kitchen table. g to “Our family all managed to meet up the followi ng day when we began the clear-up began by helping the older . We residents before starting on the inc every hes of mud which covered thing in our house. Being homel ess, we were offered accommodat hairdressers near t ion above a he old school room in Chew Magna. “Because of the bridges which had been dama ged or swept away in places like Ke Pensford, Publow and W ynsham, oollard, Chew Magna was off the r a adar to some extent and almost n afterthought when it came to aid. To the rescue came local councillor with family mem Jean Pitt. Along bers and other volunteers, she set up her caravan in Silver Street, next to t church, providing food, hot d he rinks and assistance to those who flood.” had been affected by the Rod Gill, aged 14 in 1968, son of Charles Gill, wa rden at the old people’s bungalows in The Week • The Great Flood Supplement - 11th July 2018 9 BITTON & WILLSBRIDGE

Willsbridge Mill

On Wednesday 10th July, in the worst rainstorm for half a century, workers who had climbed on to the roof to escape the rising waters. An more than five inches of rain fell in less than 24 hours, leaving parts of emergency team from Warmley Rural District Council worked throughout Bitton flooded. In the High Street the water was six feet deep, flooding the night under the leadership of Edwin Smailes. He was injured and taken many buildings and also the cottages in Mill Rank. to Cossham Hospital. The River Boyd broke its banks, washing away the parapet of the bridge near Here is an edited version of some local people’s stories – you can read them Kings Square. Fire crews from Bristol and Bath came out to help rescue in full and those of others on Bitton Parish History Group’s website - residents, and William Preece, of Oldland Common, had a motorboat which http://www.bittonhistory.org.uk/ was used to rescue some of the trapped people including night shift factory

nts’ house in g work, I went down to my pare in Knight recalls: “After finishin Kelv decided to go back to our other's birthday. After we had tea I Swineford as it was my m 1960. at day and because we had floods in ton because of all the rain we had th house in Bit d all right went in the house. Everything seeme parked my Mini van in Mill Lane, I “Having After a while I decided efore sitting down to read the paper. but I put a few things upstairs b . er came half way up my wellingtons o Swineford. I went outside and wat I would go back t orch to attract shouted to Dave Clark, shining my t was when I heard an awful roar and That ack inside. As soon as I got ouder so I thought I had better get b his attention. The roar got l after e stairs and the water was coming oor came in after me. I made for th in, the back d ut of the window, I spent most of the night looking o me. It came almost to the top stair. nly gave way. have to jump in case the wall sudde thinking I might st up Cars floating in Bitton High Street loated down the street, coming to re the corner came my Mini van and f “Then around at the garage. the lights still on. It finally stopped against the White Hart pub with all While 143.5mm of rain fell in the Chew Valley and a yley (three months) were still at my and daughters Debra (six) and Ha swathe of from the West Country to the Fens “My wife, Molly e flood. of the devastating destructions of th ents in Swineford, safe but unaware experienced torrential rain, Scotland was the place to go par ws. We lost almost ineford to inform my family of the ne in July 1968 if you were seeking a sunshine holiday. “Tired and shocked I returned to Sw st I and my family were safe.” Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides enjoyed more than 16 everything from our home but at lea hours of sunshine that day .

in 10 The Week • The Great Flood Supplement - 11th July 2018 BITTON & WILLSBRIDGE

Marlene Gallop’s story: Margaret Shellard remembers : “After a terrible journey “I lived, and still live, in a cottage a late t the top of High Street. My husband Christopher and I wer back from Bath at approximately 9pm we came over the e amazed by the thunder and lig accompanied tor htning which rential rain. Suddenly, we became a Keynsham bridge just before it was ware that our rear garden path and steps had turned into a waterf washed away. On arriving home all. Water about a couple of feet hig the smal h started to back up in l pathway leading to our back door. with two very young girls, one four “This water, accompani weeks and the other 17 months, we ed by silt, flowed towards the dra Ho in close to the back door. wever, it could not take the quantity realised the water was coming back and severity of the flow. Leaving our we donned wellie son in his cot up the drains and so put all the s and raincoats over our nightclothe s and used some sheets and towels to spread on the floor to form a chann brand new baby clothes on top of el between the back and front door. Armed with sweeping brushes w the fire guard and went to bed, to e opened the back door and directe much deep d the rainwater, now be woken by shouting from people er, through the hastily made channe l out through the front door and do steps. Neighbours oppos wn the outside saying the water was ite were looking out and seeing our som problem, very swiftly made rising. e sand bags and brought them over. “O “I went downstairs to get baby nce the immediate ‘emergency’ was over, the village seemed uncannily q really frightening uiet. What was food and seconds later a wall of was the level of water by the White H art and the cottages opposite, where it was almost level with their firs water broke down a very thick t-floor bedroom windows. Amongst t were two he people living there back door, completely filling all the rooms downstairs. Mick of our friends. Our very real conce rn now was for them, our experien nothing in comparison. ce was (my husband) grabbed me. We just managed to keep our “D heads above water. The pram went through the window as the espite the disastrous situation there was a wonderful show of commun alive in the villag ity spirit, still water level dropped. We stayed upstairs (cat, budgie, two e today. Whilst this was a very trau matic and unforgettable event I can babies, husband and me) until about 11am the next day when report a lovely outcome. Some 22 y ears later our son, Andrew, went on who was the b to marry Helen, we came out walking in about two to three feet of horrible aby whose pram was pushed throug h the window!” water. As we walked past the butchers shop, the offal was floating.” Gwynne & Dave Clarke were trapped by see the devastation that was left. In the early floodwaters overnight which reached the top evening, all the village turned up with Above and right: The stair. Gwynne recalls: “There was a lot of tractors and lorries and took the furniture to clean-up. crashing and banging during the night, the school playground. The ladies of the Below: which we realised was furniture falling over village took everything that was washable Bitton High Street and floating about. During the morning, we and brought it back in a few days. They were offered food and drink by Lorna Crapp brought brushes and mops and helped clear and Ron Summerill. Firemen in a boat came all the mud and debris from floors and walls. with Dr Johns to see if everyone was OK. “About two days later people donated They had tied the boat to the lamp post as the furniture which was shared between the current was so strong. We eventually left the flood victims. We would like to thank all the house later on that morning. I was given a people that helped and donated furniture ‘piggyback’ by Tony Brewer, even though I during that time. Eighteen houses were was eight months’ pregnant. eventually demolished - Mill Rank and “The water receded quite quickly. We could Woodbine Terrace.”

Willsbridge Mill suffered a tremendous battering as the swollen Warmley when they heard a series of loud bangs and the force of the water burst Brook roared through it. Several tons of animal feed disappeared when the open their doors. store and outbuildings were washed away. A massive tree trunk was swept As the water receded during Thursday morning, it revealed the main road into the dam walls which could not withstand the force of the impact and littered with cars, blocked by a tree trunk and covered in a thick layer of gave way. mud and rubble. The resulting tidal wave which descended into the valley below The mill buildings fell into disrepair after the Great Flood. The mill demolished the walls on both sides of the main road near the Queens’s and adjoining land were later bought by builders Wimpey and in 1979 Head and washed vehicles out of the car park. The pub, neighbouring they donated the mill to Kingswood District Council which entered into cottages and houses and bungalows at The Tanyard opposite were all an agreement with Avon Wildlife Trust. The mill and adjacent long flooded to a depth of several feet. barn were restored, opening in 1986 as an environmental education The publican’s wife Gwen Tucker said that they had to stop serving drinks centre. at about 8pm as water was pouring down the hill and entering the bar. The The buildings are still in council ownership, with Willsbridge Mill main flood following the mill dam bursting happened in the early hours Community Refresh taking over the lease from the trust in 2014.

in The Week • The Great Flood Supplement - 11th July 2018 11 BRISTOL & SURROUNDING AREAS

The River Avon burst its banks in several waiting boats. places while rainwater overwhelmed the Bedminster suffered major devastation with drains in many parts of the city. several shops and businesses in East Street At Saltford , the Jolly Sailor was flooded and Mead Lane was under four feet of water. The Army rescued residents of Hanham Mills on Thursday morning using amphibious vehicles, and an estimated five million gallons of water was pumped out of Bristol Rovers’ old ground at Eastville. In Whitchurch , water running off the old airfield flooded houses in Alverstoke Road which had only been built six months earlier Bedminster while in Brislington , 18 passengers had to flooded, homes evacuated and passengers be rescued from a double-decker bus in rescued from cars which were swept away. The weather map from noon on Wednesday 10th July and Brislington Square. It became stranded in At a council meeting the week after the below, the 24-hour rainfall totals across the United around three feet of water just after 10pm on floods it was reported that 1,000 private Kingdom as the storm tracked from the South West the Wednesday evening. homes and 650 council houses had been towards the Wash. By the time help arrived, the water level had affected across the city with up to 400 meals risen so much that the passengers had to be a day being dispensed from emergency evacuated from the top deck emergency feeding centres which had been set up in window from which they stepped into the Bedminster.

In May 1968 the Government took the decision to disband the Civil Defence Corps. Only a day before the storm, had considered setting up a voluntary civil protection unit to respond to emergencies in the area. Many of the helpers who mobilised following the floods were in fact former Civil Defence members and equipment such as stirrup pumps used to clear up were ex-Civil Defence.

Of its fleet of 440 vehicles Bristol Omnibus Company had 82 buses trapped inside its Winterstoke Road depot and a further 24 abandoned in deep water around the city. A traffic warden was observed sticking parking tickets on five buses abandoned near the Bristol Hippodrome.

Chew Park, Keynsham in 12 The Week • The Great Flood Supplement - 11th July 2018