Annals of
Yorkshire
1866.-AUGUST
It was 35
years since any approach to the scene of desolation witnessed this day in the
fertile vales of North Yorkshire had occurred. The constant rains of the
last fortnight, culminating in an enormous rainfall, carried destruction along
the course of every river. Every valley suffered from flood, more or
less; but the greatest destruction was in Ryedale and along the Rye
tributaries. In the upper part of the wide vale a great lake was formed
by the, river’s Rye and Riccal, which met,
completely overflowing the whole intermediate country, inundating houses, and
rendering roads impassable.
Nunnington suffered most, from
this disaster whole crops of stacked corn being floated away. The
Kirkdale beck-always impetuous-rose with
unexampled rapidity, and the ford was no longer safe. A pony and cart,
with two persons in it, were carried some distance, and, rescued, with
difficulty. Some other narrow escapes occurred here. The
Farndale beck rose equally quick, and at
Yawdsworth Mill much timber was carried away and 3
newly-built house washed down.
At
Sinnington, the Seven flooded the village, and floated large timber about
in great confusion. Mr. Carter, of Kirby Moorside,
with another gentleman, on horseback; were obliged, to return to Pickering,
and took refuge in an inn near the bridge. The house being full, they
were compelled to sit by the fire till daylight, but the water entered during
the night and flooded the house, confining the inmates to upper story,
necessaries having to be given them from the street. The low part of the
town of Pickering was much flooded. Between Kirby
Moorside and Malton, miles of roads were
flooded, and the inhabitants were prisoners in their houses in various places.
At
Marton the water was five feet deep in the
village, and nothing was left uncovered save the large tree on the village
green. From Normanby, corn was floated out
of the fields as far as Barugh Hill, three miles.
The damage in Ryedale was very great. Not only corn fields, but pastures in
splendid trim were underwater, and stock were
standing belly deep in the flooded lands. By some accident the self
acting clough in the Rye had been propped open, and
in consequence the flood obtained access to Old Malton
Moor, which for the first time since the enclosure, half a century ago was
flooded.
Farmers
were busy fishing for their corn ricks in the
flood waters. At Norton all the pastures were overflowed, and much
property was destroyed in the brickfields. Hundreds of acres were
flooded by the bursting of the banks above Newsham.
At Malton, the Crystal Brewery and some other
business places were flooded. The bridge near
Grosmont became a total wreck, and a stationary engine erected to pump
the water from the coffer dam of the intended new bridge was washed away.
The traffic of the Malton and Whitby, and North
Yorkshire and Cleveland lines was seriously impeded.
Researched by Bernie
2005
