Barham - 2001 Flood    

Said to be the Worst Flood in 300 years          Return to Nailbourne Description


A series of photos taken from the same spot showing Barham Village Green at the height of the 2001 flood.
On the left is a furniture van taking household possessions away to a temporary home.
In the centre is a pump being used to pull water out of buildings on the other side of the road.
Notice the water flowing over the footbridge.

South Barham Road during the 2001 flood
South Barham Road at the height of the 2001 flood.
This view is taken from the Valley Road bridge looking toward the Derringstone Ford (in the distance).
Notice the lines of submerged sandbags outlining the road and the 30mph sign.

A closer view of Derrinstone Ford showing the Nailbourne flowing over the path as the arch of the footbridge failed to contain the flow.   The possible cause of this is shown in the last photo on this page.

The view from the footbridge shown in the picture above - looking towards Valley Road and the location of the top picture.

About midnight before the flood and the limit of local authority response is shown.   An inadequate walkway is in place and sandbags had been placed across Railway Hill preventing rainwater from flowing into the Nailbourne.

The same position taken in daylight with the water having built up on both sides of the sandbags and many houses around the Ford were flooded.   Pedestrians had to paddle through water in order to reach the walkway.

The ford from the other side of the Nailbourne.   Having had to paddle through water to reach the walkway, pedestrians had to paddle on the other side as well.   The step off the walkway meant stepping into water that was nearly over the top of Wellington boots.

The footbridge at Derringstone Ford during celebrations by local residents after the 2001 flood had subsided.   Notice how sequential works - raising the road surface - have diminished the size of the space available for the Nailbourne to pass and increased risk of local flooding.   Some work has recently been carried out but the root cause of road resurfacing not providing sufficient depth or clear passage has still not been corrected.