The wet weather and storms
continue to dominate the news, as parts of the country continue to suffer the dreadful weather. Much of the attention has been on the South West, and in
particular the Somerset levels.
Coastal areas have also
taken a huge battering. But more inland areas, too, are suffering, and I
experienced this for myself on Friday when I attempted to leave my own village of Newport in Essex to get
to work.
The village was cut off
completely at both ends, due to flooding
around Shortgrove
Hall to the north and Quendon to the south. There was no chance to head west either, as the road to villages like Clavering were also hit.
I eventually made it to
work by heading east towards Debden, on higher ground, and then travelling through
Saffron Walden. Apart from some flooding near Great Chesterford, I was able to
make it to the motorway and on to Wimpole. But it
would seem I was lucky – some had to be rescued from their homes, and many local schools
were shut.
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| Nature reserve in Newport, Essex |
Newport remains affected. Below is a picture of Newport
Common, the grassy open space near the railway station.
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| Newport Common, now Newport Pond once more |
In the past this field has
been called Newport Pond, and indeed the whole
village at one point went by that name. So flooding in this area is not
unusual. ‘Village in Time’, an excellent history of Newport, records that there
were floods in 1947, 1955, 1958, 1960, 1963, 1968, 1987 and 1993. But its
impacts always bring hardship, and this year the main casualty has been the
village pantomime, Snow
White, which was due to be shown this weekend. The show takes place in the
village hall, which is next to the common and which has been flooded, damaging
props and scenery. The show has been postponed until March – let’s hope the
floods have gone by then.
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| Flooding in village hall |
National Trust places in Essex have also been hit. Hatfield Forest has
been closed more times in the last two months than in any time over the 90
years since the Trust acquired it in 1924. High winds are the problem, as they
require us to make sure the Forest is safe for
visitors. But flooding has also caused problems.
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| Underwater cycling at Hatfield Forest |
Here was the scene last
Saturday morning, when we made a visit to the Forest.
A car was stuck in 4ft of water under the disused railway bridge on the
approach to the main car park. For some indication of the amount of water, note
the brave cyclist who successfully attempted to ride through the puddle. The
water entirely covered both of his wheels.
