·: Thematic Trails :·

Rivers in Flood

LYN IN FLOOD, Watersmeet to Lynmouth
Peter Keene and Derek Elsom £2.40
ISBN 978-0-948444-20-3
A5. 48 pages. 36 illustrations.
A riverside walk from the National Trust shop and café at Watersmeet following the East Lyn downstream to Lynmouth and the sea. Explanation for the variety of physical moods of the East Lyn river are interwoven with emotional responses to the river including the flood of 1952.

"The book is of value not only for the walk but also for the way in which it provides a framework for looking at other rivers. A useful reference book for visitors once they have returned home." (Exmoor Review)

▲"This ‘landscape companion’ explores not only the history and causes of the flood, but prompts emotions and reactions in the reader, to what is seen along the way. Creating an atmosphere is what this trail is all about - chatting to Winston Singleton, warden in charge of the Watersmeet estate for the last 20 years and investigating the various moods of the river, from tumbling brook to raging torrent! It also explores the topical problems of acid rain, the effect of chemicals on the river bank and the dangers of over-development." (North Devon Journal).

You can buy Lynton and Lynmouth Thematic Trails at:
National Trust Shop, Watersmeet House, Lynmouth. North Devon EX35 1NT T: 01598 752648
National Trust Shop, Heddon Valley, Parracombe, Barnstaple Devon EX30 4PY T: 01598 - 763402
Lynton Tourist Information Centre, Town Hall, Lynton. EX35 6BT T: 01598 - 752225
Barbrook Post Office, Barbrook, Lynton.
The Studio, 8/9 Lee Road, Lynton North Devon EX35 6HW T: 01598 - 753382
Mother Meldrum’s Tea Gardens, Valley of Rocks, Lynton, EX35 6JH T: 01598 - 53234
Lynton Post Office, Lee Road Lynton.

Image of Exe in flood booklet EXE IN FLOOD, an Exeter riverside walk Derek Elsom and Peter Keene.

ISBN 978-0-948444-43-2 Thematic Trails 2003. £2.95

A5. 48 pages. 28 illustrations.

On a pleasurable walk through riverside Exeter a commentary is offered on the long love/hate relationship between the city and the River Exe and the long history of flooding. The catastrophic floods of 1960 are described as are subsequent actions to curb flooding. This new expanded edition reflects on the success of strategies adopted to protect the city over the subsequent 43 years. Enjoyment of the walk is increased by questioning and interpreting what is seen along the way and the reader is encouraged to examine what actions have been taken to curb flooding of the low-lying parts of the city. The commentary demonstrates how flood control measures have dramatically altered the riverside landscape to prevent a repetition of the 1960 floods which inundated over 1,200 houses and businesses. The possibilities of future floods in the city are considered.

TAMING THE RIVERS OF OXFORD Derek Elsom

ISBN 978-0-948444-08-1 Thematic Trails 1987. £2.95

42 pages. 27 illustrations.

An Oxford riverside walk which draws attention to the uneasy relationship between the City and its rivers. Past floods are recalled and the extent to which the rivers have been tamed and flooding curbed in Oxford are critically considered.

You can buy Oxford Thematic Trails at:

Blackwells Oxford Shop. 48-51 Broad Street. The Broad. Oxford

University Museum of Natural History. Parks Road. Oxford. OX1 3PW. T: 01865-272950 www.oum.ox.ac.uk

BOSCASTLE - The Flood North Cornwall Coast and Countryside Service 70p
A folding 10-page pocket-sized pamphlet with 24 coloured illustrations and a rainfall map. The pamphlet explains how the 2004 flood happened, the sequence of events and the aftermath. Attention is drawn to the frequency of flash floods in the South-West, including the Lynmouth Disaster of 1952 (see Lyn in Flood, Watersmeet to Lynmouth [Thematic Trails 1990]). The prospect of future Boscastle floods is considered.

BOSCASTLE 16 August 2004 – the day of the flood. David Rowe
ISBN 978-1-85022-193-7 Truran 2004 £4.99

A5. 64 pages. 68 colour photographs.
In this ‘human story’ about the flood, Cornish journalist, David Rowe, records many original and compelling accounts to tell the story of that fateful day. In many ways it complements the 10 page pamphlet (see above) which explains how the flood happened.