This article by John Bridges was first published in the Framlingham History Society’s Newsletter1
Click each image for a larger view.
The floods caused by storm Babet brought devastation to the low-lying parts of the town on Friday 20 October 2023.
These were the highest recorded floods in Framlingham, but by no means the only ones to cause damage.
Looking back over time, the occurrences of flooding have been well recorded in Framlingham Weekly News (published 1859 to 1939) and Lamberts Family Almanac (1871 to 1916). Richard Green’s The History, Topography and Antiquities of Framlingham and Saxtead of 1834, refers to the 1614 flood. More recently, there are U Tube videos, such as one in 2009 showing water up to the steps of the Railway Inn. The following descriptions of flooding are based on the above sources.
1614 “The 21st of Januarre, Anno, 1614, ther was sutch a water at the Mill Bridge, as the like as neuer seene in any man’s tyme then lyueynge…” There had been two water mills, with one located near Tanyard Court.
1853. A very remarkable flood took place here on 25th April, 1853. At eight p.m. the Mere presented a sea of water. When the inundation was at its height, it stood above the centre of the arch of the Mill Bridge, an event which far exceeded anything of the kind then known within the last 75 years. This was more than two centuries after the last flood of 1614.
1875 July. The Mere was flooded to a higher point than reached last winter. The hay crop…has been floating away day by day. Such a flood that had not been known for 22 years.
1879 July. Similar floods [to 1853] occurred in July and September 1879. The July flood exceeded 1853 by 10 inches. No question that it was through neglecting to keep clear the course of the river. Read’s fellmonger’s yard [Tanyard Court] deluged to 18 inches by noon and at night 3 feet. H Fairweather [Bridge Cottage], house and premises flooded to a depth from a foot to three feet. The dribbling stream of late years…has allowed us to grow careless in the matter of keeping the channel at its proper width and depth.
1882 Great flood at Framlingham and all low lying parts in neighbouring parishes. About two feet lower than 1880 as river has been widened and cleared of debris.
1889 October. The sheets of water soon filled the streets, blocking all the gratings of the sewers.
A cottage on the Post Office bridge was submerged several inches. Mr Bonney [Gentlemen’s Corner] also flooded; lower parts of houses in Station Road as well as the Railway Inn. The scene from the Free Methodist Church [The United Free Church] to Station Road and Riverside was that of a flowing river; and the school rooms of this church were submerged some four inches.
All approaches to the Post Office and station under water, and only by carts and horses could letters be posted. Reads fellmonger business submerged some two feet, while the Sale Yard [Elms flats] was inundated. The Yard was united with the Mere, forming a gigantic lake, extending to beyond the Little Lodge, and covering some 40-50 acres.
1897 Floods at Framlingham.
1902 July. The road from the Post Office to the station was flooded to a depth of 18 inches, recalling the floods of 1879 and 1880s. Many cottagers who were visiting the town for their weekly shopping were compelled to return with empty baskets.
1910 November. Abnormal rainfall began at 5pm and there has been a continuous downpour for more than 48 hours. Residents in Albert Place and other low-lying parts of the town are in a sad plight. Floors have been under several inches of water.
when the water had subsided about a foot.
1912 August. Abnormal floods. The low-lying parts were all many feet under water. Furniture and various belongings were washed away and never recovered.
For many hours there were scenes of desolation everywhere. The cut corn on many farms has been washed into the ditches.
Residents in Albert Place showed a cut mark in the bricks showing the high water mark of 1879, which was not met by three inches, but some neighbours said it was higher.
1916 September. 30 hours of rain. The Meres and low-lying areas quickly inundated. Cellars and basements flooded.
1929 Weather report for the year. Drought started in January and continued with slight breaks over most of country until autumn, then followed by heavy rain and floods. Heat wave in December.
1936 As soon as floods subsided…
1937 May. People were roused from sleep to rescue stock, furniture and all manner of goods and chattels. The night was full of activities as the work of succouring those distressed went on till dawn.
The Brooks [Brook Lane/Vyces Road] again suffered terribly, but the most dramatic occurrence of all was the destruction of the bridge opposite Mr Brand’s shop [The Wine shop]. Brooks rose to about 3 feet above ground, water rose to 4 foot in pig sty and 1 drowned. Charles Nesling’s cattle and horses on Meres. His son saw the danger, caught a pony and rode bare back to round up cattle. Driven back to farm for safety. Rail line impassable. The bridge at Mr Robinson’s farm [Little Lodge] suffered the same fate as Station Road bridge.
1939 February. John Self spoke of a tree across the river at Broadwater which acted as a dam and kept water back into the town. Mr Potter said that twice in two years, householders had suffered from severe flooding.
1952 November. Furniture removed from downstairs rooms.
1993 Elms car park partially flooded.
2009 Water in Station Road up to pavement level outside Railway Inn.
Most towns and villages developed alongside a river, with the surrounding higher ground draining the water into it. Although there are many complex reasons for any flood, in its simplest form, it is a matter of water flowing through a system. If the resistance to flow is high, e.g. excess vegetation and obstructions in the river, then the flow will be reduced and water backs up. For much of the time poor maintenance does not manifest itself as flooding because water flows are low. However, when rainfall conditions are abnormal as seen last year, then significant flooding occurs. A well-maintained river course would reduce the extent of flooding, but not prevent it. If you try to put an excessive amount of water into any system, it will overflow.
From the recorded events in the last 200 years, major floods occurred in:
1853, 1875, 1879, 1882, 1889, 1902, 1910, 1912, 1916, 1929, 1937.
It is difficult to make an objective comparison between these events and the floods of 2023 as the historic evidence is often not adequately defined. However, a best estimate is that the 2023 floods were at least 12 inches (305mm) higher than those previously recorded.
Sources
Photograph of Storm Babet in 2023 courtesy of John Bridges.
Other photographs from Framlingham Historical Photo Archive, http://framlinghamarchive.org.uk/
Footnote
- FRAM Newsletter No. 9, April 2024, page 11. See https://framlinghamhistory.uk/newsletters-and-journals/ ↩︎