The Lynmouth Flood August 15th 1952

The history of Lynmouth will be forever overshadowed by the tragedies that happened on August 15th/16th 1952. Britain and the world responded immediately when 90 million tons of rain fell on Exmoor in twenty-four hours and created a flood that took 34 lives (including 28 in Lynmouth / nearby Barbrook) and destroyed many buildings in the area.

The sites at Barbrook where four homes were lost with the loss of twelve lives. Houses that survive today remain precariously balanced after the West Lyn has scoured the foundations away.

The event is recognised as Britain’s worst river flood disaster. Over thousands of years a high rainfall on Exmoor’s plateau has created busy streams, which have eroded its landscape into many steep sided combes that form an integral part of its character. Some of these valley waterways on the north side of Exmoor converge to form the East and West Lyn rivers that meet in Lynmouth. A short journey from the moor’s high elevation gives an unusual increasing gradient as the rivers progress to sea level. Tumbling over boulders through Watersmeet’s deep wooded valley after rainfall, the excited East Lyn impresses all that view. Who can fail to wonder at the West Lyn as its sparkling waters rush over the falls of Glen Lyn Gorge? It is hard to imagine these unequalled rivers flowing at one with their surroundings suddenly transforming into instruments of destruction. However, one summer night 50 years ago they did so with terrible consequences. During the first two weeks of August 1952, six inches of rain had fallen on Exmoor leaving its thin layer of topsoil saturated and unable to absorb any more moisture.

A dirty watermark between the top windows of the Lyndale Hotel shows the height of the flood. 8,000 ton of boulders washed down by the diverted West Lyn (foreground) lie in the heart of the village.

The spate of bad weather caused cancelled bookings at local hotels and holidaymakers cut short their visit. Although visitors who stayed awoke to hazy sunshine on the morning of August 15th, an air of cautious optimism was dashed when rain returned with a vengeance at lunchtime. The downpour continued incessantly and by late afternoon water was cascading 12 inches deep through Lynmouth streets.

The Lyn Rivers running close to some village properties rose steadily as they changed from the colour of red Devon soil to an ominous black peat. Excitement turned to concern when at 6pm onlookers saw the Tors footbridge collapse into the East Lyn followed shortly by May Bridge situated near the harbour.

Lynmouth’s twin rivers tried valiantly to cope with thousands of tons of water suddenly thrust upon them - but to no avail.

At 8pm the hydroelectric power station on the East Lyn belonging to Lynmouth Electric Light Company flooded and plunged both Lynton and Lynmouth into pitch darkness. Engineers Reg Freeman and Charlie Postles switched over to the emergency generator staying bravely at their posts until forced to evacuate at 9 o’clock. The historic power station was never to light the twin villages again. Dams were formed as debris swept down blocked the river bridges. Under tremendous pressure each blockage collapsed releasing surges of water up to 30 ft high that carried boulders, trees, and telegraph poles smashing into the heart of an already ruined village.

At the hamlet of Middleham a row of 10 cottages stood within a bend of the East Lyn. When water started to surround these buildings most inhabitants fled to shelter in the nearby village school that stood on higher ground. Three elderly residents refused offers of help insisting, “We’ll be safe upstairs. We have seen the river rise before”. Those huddled together in the school heard a tremendous crashing and grating of stone just after midnight. Peering into the darkness they saw the oil lamp that had previously flickered in an upstairs room was extinguished. Their worst fears were confirmed next morning. Nothing remained of Middleham cottages – not even the foundations. Gwenda Oxley and her friend Joyce Hiscock were two young Australian women touring North Devon on holiday. They arrived from Hartland late Friday evening on the doorstep of Emily Ridd’s Barbrook cottage soaked to the skin. Soon after welcoming them Emily realised the West Lyn was beginning to flow around the row of twelve semi-detached cottages. With her 8-year-old grandson Rodney, and the two women, Emily decided to abandon her guesthouse. Hoping to reach safety at her daughter’s house in Lynton, the little party struggled down the road in blinding rain. They never arrived. A swollen West Lyn had scoured its banks causing a wall to collapse. Tragically, the flooded road swept them all through the gap and into the river. The women’s bodies were recovered a few days later on the Bristol Channel coastline. Rodney’s lifeless body was eventually found a mile away in a Lynmouth butcher’s shop.

Councillor Tom Floyd was living next door to Emily with his disabled wife Anne, son Jack, daughter Elsie Bowen, son-in-law Ronald, and grandsons Kenneth and David. On holiday from Durham, Benjamin Coult and his wife Emma were staying with the family as guests. All were in the cottage when it collapsed with three others into the raging torrent. Only Tom and his Jack Russell terrier Tim survived. The body of 11-year-old David was never found.

It was confirmed later that over 9 inches of rain had fallen in 24 hours at Longstone Barrow on the west of Exmoor sending water 6 inches deep pouring across the high ground. That day, 90 million tons of rain reeked havoc on one of Britain’s loveliest areas. The amount of water flowing through Lynmouth that day equalled an average three-months flow of the River Thames. Although the disaster is referred to as The Lynmouth Flood, it is officially titled The North Devon and West Somerset Flood as both areas were widely affected.

At the top of Lynmouth Street a wing of the West Lyn Hotel (left) has been swept cleanly away and a large section of the Lyn Valley Hotel is destroyed. The river narrowed between these properties.

Normally gentle waterways flowing south from Exmoor brought destruction to many communities. The Barle River swept all but one section of Tarr Steps away soon after Royal Engineers (TA) had restored the ancient bridge after a previous flood had damaged it in January 1949. Further downstream, debris dammed against Town Bridge at Dulverton diverting the torrent either side of the river crossing. Two nearby cottages and the popular Golden Guernsey Milk Bar were damaged beyond repair.
Water crashed through the garage premises of Batten & Thorne sweeping vehicles and equipment into the river through a shattered wall. Next day two vans belonging to the garage were found on the riverbank seven miles downstream. Luckily, a village policeman who was ten miles away warned the Dulverton community of the danger coming their way. A landslide on the Simonsbath road was reported to PC Hutchings who was stationed at Exford. He left to investigate but after travelling a mile a sudden rush of water from a field threw him from his motorcycle. Unable to start the machine he coasted back down the long hill to a telephone box in the village. With the Exe water rising around him he managed to inform Dulverton Police Station of the impending flood just before the telephone went silent and the box disappeared under the water.

On the southern edge of Exmoor, three boys on holiday with a scout group from Manchester were drowned when the River Bray swept their tent away from a campsite at Shallowford. William Leaworthy, the 60-year-old postman at Parracombe was swept to his death when a disused railway embankment collapsed allowing the River Heddon to pour through the village. Alys Thorne and her 14-year-old son Roger who were on holiday from Woking, died when their chalet was swept away at nearby Mill Farm. A French schoolboy Antony Penaud who was staying with them was saved when he managed to struggle to the farmhouse. The flood claimed the lives of 34 men, women and children. To this day the body of one young woman has never been identified.
Exmoor lost 93 properties, including 60 from Lynmouth and Barbrook. When the relief fund was closed in August 1954 a total of £1,336,425 had been donated. This money gave aid to 1740 people affected by the flood.

Universal concern and sympathy shown to those who had suffered was typified two days after the calamity by people aboard one of the paddle steamers that frequently plied off the Exmoor coast. Approaching Foreland Point on Sunday afternoon, the Britannia slowed to a crawl. As the vessel quietly crossed Lynmouth Bay, both crew and holidaymakers lined on deck standing to attention. Gazing tearfully at the beleaguered village, the union flag was lowered to half-mast as they continued silently on their way to Ilfracombe. Although extreme rainfall was the catalyst that caused the disaster, Lynmouth’s design undoubtedly contributed to the devastation. An extreme river flood in Lynmouth in 1770 was ignored when the resort began to expand in response to an increasing number of visitors during the 19th century. People had treated the event as an isolated event. Level building sites were limited due to the surrounding steep valleys, which forced development onto the flat river delta. For example, two hotels built in 1895 innocently encroached onto the West Lyn restricting it to a narrow channel. When the channel blocked during the flood the river diverted and wrecked many more properties. Developing the village on a flood plain had proved disastrous. Although a human error, no one person can be blamed.

A bold and dramatic redesign of Lynmouth was necessary after the event and a soul-searching decision to change the village they loved was the price paid by residents to ensure their future safety and that of visitors. Vulnerable homes and established hotels beloved by many were demolished when the Lyn Rivers were widened through the village after the flood. Riverside Road was built on the old Lyn River bed to act as a flood barrier and also give easier vehicle access to the harbour. Before 1952 the only vehicle access to lower Lynmouth was along narrow Lynmouth Street. A flood plain was constructed at the edge of Manor Grounds to cater for additional floodwater that may flow from the West Lyn. . From the sixty Lynmouth properties that were lost to the flood only the historic 1832 Rhenish Tower that had been completely destroyed by the torrent was rebuilt in 1954.

Those responsible for Lynmouth’s new design were successful - for the unique essence that the village had established by 1952 has survived.

*To gain more information about the Lynmouth Flood Disaster visit the Lynmouth Flood Memorial Hall on Riverside Road, which displays contemporary photographs, memorabilia, and a scale model of Lynmouth as it appeared before the flood.
The hall is open every day from Easter - October from 10am – 6pm. Entry is free. The Lynmouth model is displayed at St John the Baptist Church, Watersmeet Road, Lynmouth during winter months.

This is an Excerpt form A Notable History by kind permission of Tim Prosser who has many more interesting and informative publications for sale in the local shops and TIC
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© Tim Prosser

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