99:
110:
of water down the River Holme. It caused 81 deaths and a large amount of damage to property in the valley leaving many homeless and without work. The buildings and structures destroyed included four mills, ten dye houses, three drying stoves, 27 cottages, seven tradesmen's houses, seven shops, seven
129:
after the disaster concluded that the reservoir was "defective in its original construction" and that "the
Commissioners, in permitting the Bilberry reservoir to remain in a dangerous state with the full knowledge thereof, and not lowering the waste pit, have been guilty of great and culpable
81:
Following a severe storm on
Wednesday 21 July 1777 the River Holme burst its banks and flooded the valley. Three people were drowned and a stone church built in 1476 was swept away. It was rebuilt the following year with funding from local clothiers.
162:
a week later. This led to some confusion as to the exact cause of the flood but it was confirmed that
Bilberry reservoir was not to blame. It was suggested that the reservoir prevented the flood from being more severe.
278:
409:
170:, housed in the area, assisted with the rescue of local residents and property. There was extensive damage to properties in the valley: 17 mills, 61 shops and 109 homes were flooded.
765:
543:
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518:
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1542:
402:
210:
1597:
508:
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1522:
395:
770:
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1236:
503:
498:
177:
in recognition of his attempts to save the life of an elderly woman caught in the flood. The woman and
Geoffrey's father, who also tried to save her from
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358:
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344:
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260:
57:
collapsed causing the deaths of 81 people. It is recorded as the 23rd most serious, worldwide, in terms of loss of life from floods and
1482:
584:
780:
728:
333:
1592:
1577:
1557:
1537:
1512:
1502:
1487:
447:
217:
90:
The River Holme again flooded the valley around
Holmfirth, following rainstorms on 21 September 1821, with no loss of life.
1408:
1398:
1393:
1375:
899:
548:
442:
430:
1517:
1335:
1325:
1320:
1310:
963:
810:
558:
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1355:
1340:
1330:
1315:
1089:
785:
688:
665:
283:
488:
1492:
843:
800:
795:
790:
775:
733:
49:
and other settlements in the valley. The earliest record dates from 1738 and the latest from 1944. The most severe
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1582:
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1507:
1497:
1403:
1153:
1135:
1045:
1017:
645:
574:
186:
298:
1350:
1345:
993:
914:
848:
833:
738:
106:
The 1852 flood occurred when the embankment of the
Bilberry reservoir collapsed, releasing 86 million
1055:
894:
871:
748:
579:
1572:
1552:
1532:
1477:
1036:
958:
73:
to burst its banks and flood the valley. Though there was damage to farmland there was no loss of life.
1436:
1012:
1002:
838:
823:
670:
655:
159:
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1031:
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303:
98:
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1420:
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The collapse occurred at about 1.00 am on 5 February 1852 following a period of heavy
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1216:
1074:
1050:
680:
640:
419:
387:
38:
173:
Geoffrey Riley (1929–2005), who was aged 14 at the time of the event, was awarded the
53:
occurred early on the morning of 5 February 1852, when the embankment of the
Bilberry
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1108:
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988:
853:
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155:
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34:
1441:
1207:
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627:
143:
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70:
17:
1180:
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58:
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360:
1126:
940:
480:
457:
54:
46:
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bridges crossing the River Holme, ten warehouses, eight barns and stables.
1385:
1289:
181:, both lost their lives in the flood. Geoffrey was initially awarded the
178:
1453:
1294:
886:
189:
was discontinued in 1971 and he exchanged this for the George Cross at
164:
126:
42:
107:
33:
were a number of instances when severe flooding had occurred in the
97:
50:
150:, caused the deaths of three people in the Holme Valley. Due to
115:
391:
243:"Holmfirth – Is there more to it than Last of the Summer Wine?"
246:
158:, it was not widely reported and was overshadowed by the
118:. The story of the flood made the front page of the
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1384:
1285:
1229:
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809:
679:
626:
567:
479:
456:
403:
8:
279:"Hitler's impact on the Great Flood of '44"
410:
396:
388:
1568:20th-century floods in the United Kingdom
1543:19th-century floods in the United Kingdom
202:
1598:May 1944 events in the United Kingdom
7:
1588:1944 disasters in the United Kingdom
1563:1852 disasters in the United Kingdom
1523:1821 disasters in the United Kingdom
325:On the trail of the Holmfirth Flood
322:Minter, Gordon & Enid (1996).
25:
299:"Obituaries: Geoffrey Riley, GC"
211:"Cricket Heritage of Holmfirth"
448:United Kingdom weather records
102:Bilberry and Digley reservoirs
1:
443:Drought in the United Kingdom
431:Climate of the United Kingdom
345:"The Holmfirth flood of 1852"
854:North Sea and Irish Sea 2013
343:Dickinson, Stanley (1910).
328:. H. Barden & Company.
284:Huddersfield Daily Examiner
1614:
872:Widecombe-in-the-Moor 1638
699:Holmfirth 1738, 1777, 1944
1483:History of West Yorkshire
1450:
471:Buachaille Etive Mòr 2009
426:
766:Somerset Levels 2013–14
704:North East England 1771
1593:Dam failures in Europe
1578:1944 natural disasters
1558:1852 natural disasters
1538:1821 natural disasters
1513:1777 natural disasters
1503:1738 natural disasters
1488:Disasters in Yorkshire
744:November–December 2009
418:Weather events in the
152:reporting restrictions
103:
69:Rainstorms caused the
101:
786:Yorkshire Dales 2019
689:Bristol Channel 1607
666:Yorkshire Dales 2019
374:53.55944°N 1.84556°W
160:invasion of Normandy
154:in place because of
1518:18th-century floods
559:February–March 2018
370: /
304:The Daily Telegraph
146:following a severe
900:Great Malvern 1761
819:South England 1287
724:South England 1968
379:53.55944; -1.84556
307:. 20 January 2005.
267:on 5 January 2007.
104:
61:in human history.
1493:Floods in England
1460:
1459:
1409:April–August 2022
1399:February–May 2019
1230:Windstorm seasons
223:on 16 August 2009
193:on 6 March 1973.
191:Buckingham Palace
16:(Redirected from
1605:
1442:Great Stink 1858
1181:September 2020 (
1056:September 2011 (
994:September 1961 (
412:
405:
398:
389:
385:
384:
382:
381:
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371:
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352:
351:on 25 June 2007.
347:. Archived from
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288:
275:
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263:. Archived from
257:
251:
250:
239:
233:
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230:
228:
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216:. Archived from
215:
207:
168:prisoners of war
31:Holmfirth floods
21:
18:Holmfirth Floods
1613:
1612:
1608:
1607:
1606:
1604:
1603:
1602:
1583:1944 in England
1548:1852 in England
1528:1821 in England
1508:1777 in England
1498:1738 in England
1463:
1462:
1461:
1456:
1446:
1437:Great Smog 1952
1425:
1414:Wennington 2022
1380:
1299:
1281:
1225:
1217:November 2023 (
1199:February 2022 (
1190:December 2021 (
1172:February 2020 (
1163:February 2020 (
1127:December 2015 (
1118:December 2015 (
1109:November 2015 (
938:
929:
915:Birmingham 2005
881:
858:
805:
749:Workington 2009
709:Strathspey 1829
675:
646:Chew Stoke 1968
622:
563:
475:
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422:
416:
378:
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364:
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316:Further reading
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185:. However, the
142:, 29 May 1944,
136:
120:London Standard
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1208:October 2023 (
1205:
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1154:October 2019 (
1151:
1145:January 2018 (
1142:
1136:October 2017 (
1133:
1124:
1115:
1106:
1100:October 2014 (
1097:
1092:
1087:
1085:Christmas 2013
1082:
1077:
1072:
1067:
1062:
1053:
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1037:October 1996 (
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849:North Sea 2007
846:
844:North Sea 1978
841:
839:North Sea 1976
836:
834:North Sea 1953
831:
826:
824:North Sea 1287
821:
815:
813:
807:
806:
804:
803:
798:
793:
788:
783:
781:Winter 2019–20
778:
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771:Winter 2015–16
768:
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761:Winter 2013–14
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656:Boscastle 2004
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436:climate change
427:
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420:United Kingdom
417:
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407:
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392:
354:
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334:
317:
314:
311:
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261:"1944 weather"
252:
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200:
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195:
144:flash flooding
135:
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87:
84:
78:
75:
66:
63:
39:West Yorkshire
24:
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13:
10:
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4:
3:
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1098:
1096:
1095:February 2014
1093:
1091:
1088:
1086:
1083:
1081:
1080:December 2013
1078:
1076:
1073:
1071:
1068:
1066:
1065:December 2011
1063:
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1049:
1047:
1046:December 1998
1044:
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1030:
1028:
1025:
1023:
1021:
1018:August 1986 (
1016:
1014:
1011:
1009:
1006:
1004:
1003:February 1962
1001:
999:
997:
992:
990:
989:February 1903
987:
985:
982:
980:
979:December 1879
977:
975:
974:February 1871
972:
970:
967:
965:
962:
960:
957:
955:
954:November 1824
952:
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949:December 1703
947:
946:
944:
942:
936:
932:
926:
923:
921:
918:
916:
913:
911:
910:November 1981
908:
906:
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901:
898:
896:
893:
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890:
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869:
867:
865:
864:Thunderstorms
861:
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835:
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641:Lynmouth 1952
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619:
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595:February 2009
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549:February 2012
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335:0-9524747-4-3
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187:Royal Warrant
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130:negligence".
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48:
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40:
36:
32:
27:
19:
1573:1940s floods
1553:1850s floods
1533:1820s floods
1478:Holme Valley
1421:Cannich 2023
1404:Wareham 2020
1218:
1209:
1200:
1191:
1182:
1173:
1164:
1155:
1146:
1137:
1128:
1119:
1110:
1101:
1090:January 2014
1075:October 2013
1070:January 2012
1057:
1051:January 2007
1038:
1032:January 1990
1027:October 1987
1019:
1013:January 1976
1008:January 1968
995:
984:October 1881
969:October 1859
959:January 1839
925:October 2022
905:October 1913
811:Storm surges
698:
661:Morpeth 2008
651:Glasgow 2002
628:Flash floods
615:
614:March 2023 (
606:
605:March 2018 (
590:January 1995
575:January 1881
534:October 2008
355:
349:the original
324:
302:
293:
282:
273:
265:the original
255:
237:
225:. Retrieved
218:the original
205:
183:Albert Medal
175:George Cross
172:
156:World War II
148:thunderstorm
137:
124:
119:
113:
105:
89:
80:
68:
35:Holme Valley
30:
28:
26:
1394:Summer 2018
964:August 1848
920:London 2006
895:London 1091
829:Thames 1928
791:Summer 2022
739:August 2008
734:Summer 2007
729:Autumn 2000
719:Thames 1947
714:Thames 1928
671:London 2021
568:Snow events
554:Spring 2013
377: /
140:Whit Monday
122:newspaper.
71:River Holme
1467:Categories
941:hurricanes
935:Windstorms
694:Trent 1683
636:Louth 1920
600:March 2013
585:April 1981
580:March 1891
481:Cold snaps
466:Lewes 1836
458:Avalanches
362:53°33′34″N
197:References
59:landslides
45:affecting
1473:Holmfirth
1452:Disputed
1386:Wildfires
1290:Heatwaves
887:Tornadoes
877:July 1968
776:June 2016
365:1°50′44″W
55:reservoir
47:Holmfirth
1295:Droughts
227:3 August
179:drowning
1454:tsunami
1277:2023–24
1272:2022–23
1267:2021–22
1262:2020–21
1257:2019–20
1252:2018–19
1247:2017–18
1242:2016–17
1237:2015–16
1156:Lorenzo
1147:Eleanor
1138:Ophelia
1120:Desmond
1111:Abigail
1102:Gonzalo
1020:Charley
939:former
756:2012–13
544:2010–11
539:2009–10
529:1990–91
519:1985–86
514:1981–82
509:1962–63
504:1946–47
499:1894–95
489:1683–84
127:inquest
108:gallons
43:England
1219:Ciarán
1201:Eunice
1174:Dennis
996:Debbie
681:Floods
616:Larisa
332:
165:German
1430:Other
1210:Babet
1192:Barra
1165:Ciara
1058:Katia
221:(PDF)
214:(PDF)
51:flood
1376:2022
1371:2021
1366:2019
1361:2018
1356:2013
1351:2006
1346:2003
1341:1995
1336:1990
1331:1976
1326:1955
1321:1911
1316:1906
1311:1808
1306:1757
1183:Alex
1039:Lili
801:2024
796:2023
607:Emma
524:1987
494:1709
330:ISBN
229:2009
134:1944
116:rain
94:1852
86:1821
77:1777
65:1738
29:The
1129:Eva
937:and
247:BBC
138:On
125:An
1469::
301:.
281:.
245:.
41:,
37:,
1221:)
1212:)
1203:)
1194:)
1185:)
1176:)
1167:)
1158:)
1149:)
1140:)
1131:)
1122:)
1113:)
1104:)
1060:)
1041:)
1022:)
998:)
618:)
609:)
411:e
404:t
397:v
338:.
287:.
249:.
231:.
20:)
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