Historic flooding in the Severn catchment
1258
4th June: “a terrible storm of wind accompanied by torrents of rain fell on and
raised all the waters of the Severn from Shrewsbury to Bristol to a degree that
has not been seen in our times."
1338
Year that included a notable Severn flood at Shrewsbury.
1374
Evesham: “…this bridge was dreadfully injured by a flood.”
1483
“A year noted for its continual monsoon-like rains. The river Wye in
Herefordshire and the Severn in Worcestershire rose rapidly…”
1484
Tewkesbury: “…there was a remarkable high flood in consequence of the
waters overflowing the banks of the Severn.”
1545
Year that included a notable Severn flood at Shrewsbury
1576,
5th March: “Great flood in Shrewsbury, Bridgnorth, Tewkesbury & Bewdley…"
1579
Year that included a notable Severn flood at Shrewsbury.
1585
River Sowe: "Very wet summer with many floods"
1586
9th October: “…as a result of wind & rain some time before, the waters of the
R. Severn rose suddenly during the night."
1587
19th July, Tewkesbury: "...high floods on the Severn…when a sudden
inundation overflowed the meadows….”
1588
River Sowe: "Great flood in Coventry in July"
1588
2nd – 4th January: “Severn water rose at Shrewsbury due to the great rain in
Wales & flooded western suburbs of Shrewsbury…"
1588
18th July, Stratford: "The worst flood recorded occurred on the 18th July,
1588…”
1588
29th July: "Great flood on 29 Jul. Sudden over-flowing of the Severn caused
meadows to be drowned within 2 days”.
1590
30th January: “Severn flooded some parts of western suburbs of Shrewsbury
to a height of 1 ft but flood only lasted 1 day"
1593
25th December– 4th January 1594: “Severn flooded due to recent heavy rains.
Parts of western suburbs of Shrewsbury flooded 1ft deep………”
1596
20th January: “Severn waters rose suddenly due to great rain & continual
wind. Water rose in people's houses in Shrewsbury. 14" deep in one house.
Flood lasted to 27 January.”
1599
Year that included a notable Severn flood at Shrewsbury.
1602
4th – 12th January: “Due to great tempests & rain the Severn rose. After 5 days
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it fell but within 2 days it rose again remaining high for 2 days. On 7th Feb
Severn rose again but not as high as the first water by ¾ of a yd & went down
the next day."
1607
27th April, River Sowe: “…a flood overflowed 250 houses in Coventry."
1610
Tewkesbury: "another flood.”
1611
"Floods began 12 Jan & lasted for a long time. On 30 Jan "increased to so
great a flood as seldom been seen". Continued through February. The east
bridge over the Avon swept away & other bridges destroyed. Much rain fell in
Jul & Aug. Hay spoiled by floods "one renewing & following another" from 19 24 Aug"
1620
29th November: “There was a great flood on the Severn on the 29th of
November, but the only specific details are the drowning of 68 people going to
Bewdley Fair near Kidderminster."
1640
Tewkesbury: "... in 1640, when there were no less than eight floods between
Midsummer and Michaelmas."
1647
River Sowe: "Great floods in Oct"
1672
23rd December: "This year was such a vast flood in Shrewsbury that it threw
down the Welsh Gate…"
1673
December, Tewkesbury: “…so high a flood that the water came into a channel
of the Church -street at the bull ring now called the Crescent."
1721/1722
Tewkesbury: "The years 1721 and 1722 were times for floods..."
1729
December: A notable Severn flood at Shrewsbury
1729
November 19th: "The nineteenth day of November in the year 1729, the
greatest flood as I ever have seen in the town of Newtown, which came very
near to the Town Hall, and likewise the top of Ladywell…”
1739
September: A notable Severn flood at Shrewsbury.
1740
10th December: "The Severn was higher on the 10th than it had been ever
since the year 1672. As it rose suddenly much damage was done and several
persons drowned….”
1748
Year that included a notable Severn flood at Shrewsbury
1768
December: "At Gloucester the express was retarded by ten hours by the
floods, which in every county are higher than can be remembered. Such a
general inundation as the present has scarcely been remembered. The flat
country in Herefordshire and Shropshire is a perfect sea, so that the roads are
impassable."
1769
14th March: “…we rode towards Tewkesbury...But we could not get to it; the
floods were so high…”
1770
18th November: Shrewsbury: "In the flood of 1770 there were seventeen
inches of water in the Abbey and 300 houses were flooded." Highest in
annual flood peak level list 1770 – 1970
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1770
November: Evesham: “The highest flood within memory…”
1772
November: A notable Severn flood at Shrewsbury.
1792
19th April, Tewkesbury: "…there was such a great fall of rain that the water
rose in the Severn to a height of sixteen feet within twenty-four hours".
1793
10th February, Evesham: “…a most extraordinary flood within about 14 inches
as high as that of November 1770 and more injurious…”
1795
February: "…the river Severn has overflowed its banks and covered an extent
of country for a great number of miles with water…Shrewsbury was almost
surrounded with water. In most places water has risen higher than was ever
remembered by the oldest inhabitants; upwards of 50 bridges have been
totally destroyed, and a great number of others much damaged...” Flood at
Gloucester ranked 2nd in annual flood peak level list 1770 – 1970.
1801
Stratford: “The river rose 13ft, exceeding by two inches the height of the Avon
in the great flood of 1801.”
1809
28th January: Flood at Gloucester ranked 3rd in annual flood peak level list
1770 – 1970.
1809
February: "The Avon rose to a considerable height during the late rapid thaw.
The river rose so high between Evesham and Worcester as to put a stop to all
communication between the two places by the normal road…"
1814
Tewkesbury: "…during a spring flood the water was so high...persons sailed
in boats completely around the town..."
1848
1st October, Evesham: “A three days' rain caused the river to rise rapidly; the
flood can only have been second to that of 1770…"
1852
5th August: "The violent and incessant rains which set in at the end of
August…The consequences were most extensive floods and inundations in
every part of the country…In the course of 24 hours the Severn rose from its
ordinary channel and overflowed its banks…In Worcester city the damage
done was not very extensive. The greatest ravages were inflicted on the
valley of the Teme river…”
1852
November, Worcester: "The incessant rains of Wednesday and Thursday
tended to augment the swollen waters to an extent truly alarming. The flood
overspread the raceground…The water…rose on North Parade to within 11
ins. or 12 ins. of the height attained by one of the highest floods ever known
on the Severn, which occurred in 1795."
"In the Midland counties, a wide expanse of country was covered by the
waters…At Shrewsbury more than 700 houses were flooded...The whole vale
of Gloucester was one wide-spreading sea…"
1863
July, Evesham: “…serious floods…”
1867
7th January: "Very heavy floods were reported from all parts of the country; in
some cases, it was said they even exceeded those of November, 1852. The
Severn is said to have been more flooded than since that year."
1872
10th August, Gloucester: "Constant rain. The country near here is dreadfully
flooded and accounts are bad from all parts of the country."
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1872
17th December: “On Tuesday last after the unusually heavy fall of rain, the
Avon overflowed its banks, and Stratford witnessed one of the largest floods
that had been seen for many years.”
1875
July, Worcester: “The river rose very rapidly, the meadows on each side of it
from hence to Gloucester were under water; much hay was carried away and
grass spoiled. There was a heavy spate down the Teme which overflowed its
banks, as did also the Avon between Evesham and Tewkesbury…The Leam
and the Avon overflowed their banks, washed away a small bridge, and
flooded much adjoining land... Rugby - all the low-lying land by the river Avon
is under water…”
1875
11th November: "The floods are out again as far as the eye can reach west of
Gloucester".
1876
“The low-lying districts of the Severn were much flooded in November..."
1879
16th August, Cheltenham: "... The Severn of course is flooded, and all the lowlying ground adjacent thereto”.
1880
26th October: "Rain fell continuously for about 40 to 45 hours…causing higher
floods in the Severn than have occurred for many years."
1882
24th October: “…followed by disastrous floods, which rendered roads
impassable, and inundated many houses in the lower parts of Cheltenham."
Flood at Evesham ranked 4th in the annual flood peak level list 1848-1935.
1885
"The Teme was in flood several times during the autumn."
1886
May, Ludlow: “The Teme supposed to be six or eight feet higher than ever
known before".
1886
12th May: "…causing the highest flood in the Severn valley since 1852." Flood
at Gloucester ranked 6th in the annual flood peak level list 1770 to 1970.
Flood at Tewkesbury ranked 2nd in flood levels from 1862 to 1990.
1888
27th December: “Great local fall of rain…producing a great flood on the Teme
and its tributaries…”
1890
February: "Disastrous floods on the upper Severn; much suffering".
1897
February: “Heavy rain in the early part caused the Avon to overflow, and
hundreds of acres were under water from 2nd to 11th."
1900
30th- 31st December: Widespread flooding in the Avon catchment. Flood at
Evesham ranked 1st in the annual flood list 1848 to 1935.
1903
27th October: "Extensive flooding in the Teme valley after heavy rainfall of this
day."
1910
December: "…record floods occurred in the middle of December, round
Gloucester, Tewkesbury, and Worcester the rivers Severn and Avon
overflowed their banks, and postmen used boats to deliver letters."
1914
31st December, Worcester: "Owing to the excessive rain of December the
river Severn overflowed its banks…Many of the low-lying houses near the
river were flooded and several roads in the city rendered impassable".
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1916
Newtown: "Disasterous [sic] floods in town".
1924
31st May: Flood at Evesham ranked 5th in the annual flood list 1848 to 1935.
1929
13th November: "One of the most serious floods experienced in Newtown
occurred on the night of 12th - 13th November, 1929. ...Although no-one was
drowned, the 1929 flood created similar, if not worse havoc [ to that of
1852]……."
1932
23rd May: “The river rose 13 feet, exceeding by two inches the height of the
Avon in the great flood of 1801 but falling five inches short of the high water
mark reached during the famous “century” flood which occurred on December
31st, 1900…”
1947
21st March: Flood at Tewkesbury ranked 1st in the flood levels list from 1862
to 1990. Flood at Gloucester ranked 4th in the annual flood peak level list from
1770 to 1970.
1960
26th January: Flood at Tewkesbury ranked 3rd in the flood levels list from
1862 to 1990.
Recent Flood Events
Easter 1998
This event occurred on the Avon catchment only and was caused by a slow moving front over
Warwickshire, Northamptonshire and Oxfordshire. There was extensive flooding such as at
Leamington, Stratford, Evesham, Worcester and Shipston on Stour. There was also widespread
disruption on the road and rail network throughout Warwickshire. The return period of the flood
event was typically high, for example in Leamington (from the Leam) it was calculated as being a
0.67% chance event and a 2% chance event in Evesham. Some flooding was caused by
defences being overtopped or outflanked at Alcester, Long Itchington, Wellesbourne and
Sedgeberrow.
The Easter 1998 flood caused mainly highway flooding on the Severn itself, with only a small
number of properties flooded, mainly in the Severn Uplands and Middle Severn reaches.
However flooding from the Barbourne Brook affected nearly 100 homes. Two people were killed
during the flooding and over 1050 properties and 1400 caravans were flooded.
October 1998
This was the largest event in the Severn Uplands region for 30 years. Communities affected
included Shrewsbury, Ironbridge, Bridgnorth, Bewdley and Worcester.
October/November 2000
Autumn 2000 was the wettest autumn on record over England and Wales for 270 years: in certain
parts of Wales rainfall was exceptional, with 331mm of rainfall recorded between 28th October
and 8th November at Dolydd in the Welsh Mountains: this was a 100 year rainfall event. Llyn
Clywedog was drawn down below its statutory level in October and did not spill until after the first
event. However the continued rainfall caused the reservoir to spill for subsequent events, as there
was insufficient time for drawdown to occur.
Continued rainfall was not limited to the upper reaches of the Severn and Vyrnwy; other
tributaries such as the Camlad and Rhiw contributed significant volumes to the flows coming
down from the upper reaches. Prolonged rainfall throughout the catchment compounded the
runoff and flooding problems that affected Shrewsbury, Ironbridge, Bridgnorth and Bewdley,
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Kidderminster, Worcester, Tewkesbury, Upton on Severn, Kempsey and Gloucester. There was
little or no flooding on the Avon and its tributaries during this flood event.
There was further flooding at some locations during December 2000 but this was not as
widespread. The Environment Agency noted that “recent development in the floodplain was not
as major an issue in Midlands Region as it may have been in other parts of the country. A
relatively small proportion of the properties which flooded were less than 10 years old….” The
majority of flooding occurred at locations without protection, an exception being a defence failure
on the Roden upstream of Wem.
February 2002
In February 2002 flooding occurred along the Severn including at Shrewsbury, Bewdley, Upton
on Severn and Kemspey, caused by consecutive bands of very heavy rainfall concentrated over
the Welsh Mountains. At Pontrobert and Llanymynech on the River Vyrnwy the peaks on the 1 st
February were the highest on record. Return periods at the top of the catchment were estimated
to be greater than those at gauging stations further downstream. At Llanymynech the event was
rated a 3 - 4% annual chance event; at Welshbridge and Bewdley the event was less exceptional,
a 10 – 20% chance event. There were high river flows on the Teme, with the gauge at Tenbury
recording the highest level on record. There was little or no flooding on the River Avon or its
tributaries.
February 2004
February 2004 was a lesser event than October/November 2000, but caused flooding in areas of
Shrewsbury and Bewdley where 160 properties and 53 chalets were flooded. The demountable
defences were erected at Severnside North in Bewdley, and Frankwell in Shrewsbury, and
prevented property flooding. Properties were protected for the first time using demountable
defences at Frankwell and Bewdley and using temporary defences in Abbey Foregate,
Shrewsbury; Hylton Road, Worcester; and Wharfage, Ironbridge.
June and July 2007
A series of depressions tracked over the UK, brought in as the jet stream passed north of a
blocking high over the Mediterranean. The depressions brought very high falls of rainfall – the
worst for 200 years - and record totals in some areas, more than double the seasonal average.
Yorkshire, and the Severn and Thames valleys were worst affected by flooding. Gloucestershire
and neighbouring areas experienced more than 320% more rainfall than the average for the
previous three decades. In the Severn catchment, the rainfall caused the biggest floods on record
in Worcestershire and Gloucestershire, affecting many settlements including Stratford on Avon,
Upton on Severn, Tewkesbury and Gloucester as well as agricultural land, roads and railways.
However Bewdley’s flood defences saved the town.
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