The Road Drains Back to HOME page:
To some, it may sound strange, but there are 2 types of rain that the villagers of MILLHOUSE
should be aware of, which in turn, results in two types of potential flooding sources.
(a) There’s the (flash) heavy thundery type rain, which quickly saturates the land, therefore remaining on surface, causing the local watercourses in the fields to be plummeted into a state of full capacity flow, leading to inadvertent overflowing, in turn onto Salter Lonning, to the mercy of the road drainage infrastructure, or (if it remains on surface) the vulnerable village properties.
(b) There’s the gentler but persistent “Storm Desmond” type rain, which in extreme times lingers for very long periods over the same catchment area, “quickly overriding and engulfing any form of environmental natural slow release”, entering the local water courses, becks, and in turn the river Caldew causing it to rapidly rise to extreme levels and large volume, to the mercy of the 120 year old low capacity ancient single arched MILLHOUSE road bridge, which is now deprived of its originally designed overflow path onto the original village flood plain.
(a) There’s the (flash) heavy thundery type rain, which quickly saturates the land, therefore remaining on surface, causing the local watercourses in the fields to be plummeted into a state of full capacity flow, leading to inadvertent overflowing, in turn onto Salter Lonning, to the mercy of the road drainage infrastructure, or (if it remains on surface) the vulnerable village properties.
(b) There’s the gentler but persistent “Storm Desmond” type rain, which in extreme times lingers for very long periods over the same catchment area, “quickly overriding and engulfing any form of environmental natural slow release”, entering the local water courses, becks, and in turn the river Caldew causing it to rapidly rise to extreme levels and large volume, to the mercy of the 120 year old low capacity ancient single arched MILLHOUSE road bridge, which is now deprived of its originally designed overflow path onto the original village flood plain.
Below is a documentation of an event which occurred on Thursday 26th February 2015.
But a more recent "duplicate" event occurred again on Sunday 20th February 2022,
(Storm Fanklin). A repeat snap-shot of the February 2015 event.
MILLHOUSE, located in the Caldew valley, may have the advantage of being sheltered from extreme winds and cold wintery weather, probably a lot warmer than the top of the hill.
MILLHOUSE, located in the Caldew valley, may have the advantage of being sheltered from extreme winds and cold wintery weather, probably a lot warmer than the top of the hill.
Independently from the river, the disadvantage is that, when it rains very heavily, due to the laws of gravity, surface water flows off the high lying saturated land onto Salter Lonning down towards Millhouse.
This photo shows the calmed flow, through the field hedge onto the road. The
aftermath
of the real torrent that passed this way several hours before, during the hours of darkness.
Thursday morning, 26th February 2015
(and many previous occasions)
The water flows off the field above Salter Lonning through the hedge onto the road, which sadly completely by-passes many of the dedicated purpose installed road drains.
It is the expectation of the residents, that the torrent flows through the village in the purpose installed underground drain infrastructure, and not on surface.
But sadly this water from the field completely by-passes the drain infrastructure.
Prior to the early 1970’s there were very few drains and road gullies, in and around MILLHOUSE. These times were a nightmare for some of the residents.
Prior to the 1970’s installation of the drain infrastucture, the water flowed down into the village on surface, (with no where else to go) flooding homes, sometimes several times in a year.
There is a remaining phenomenon of when prolonged periods of heavy rain, and the field gutters on the north east side of Salter Lonning are swollen with water running off the land, the natural water coarses become overwhelmed and/or blocked.
The inlets to drains & culverts from these gutters are then overloaded, and easily blocked by floating debris, which is the point when the water spills onto the road.
In 1973/74 a major road drainage system was installed, which involved the closure of the road through MILLHOUSE
for nearly a month.
These two rather inferior quality stills are an extract from "8mm Cine Film".
These two rather inferior quality stills are an extract from "8mm Cine Film".
Many extra road gullies were installed, feeding into two large diameter underground concrete pipes which follow the line of the road, and terminate in the old millrace in the field behind Fell View.
This “Phase 1”
work
proved to be very successful, and marked the end of the nightmare for many of the residents, who could now go to bed on a rainy night and get a good nights sleep.
However a problem remained, further up Salter Lonning, surface water still flowed down the road with no-where to go. Human intervention was then required to guide it towards the gullies, otherwise it remained on surface, and was then a real flooding potential.
More gullies were needed at the epicentre source area, to get the water into the very substantial underground drain infrastructure.
More gullies were needed at the epicentre source area, to get the water into the very substantial underground drain infrastructure.
In the early 1990’s, the “Phase 2” extension
was carried out,
installing many more gullies further up Salter Lonning to receive the surface water at the source as it spills out from the saturated land, which is greatly amplified if the natural field water coarse gets blocked and restricted from it's intended flow capacity.
This photo shows the calmed flow, the aftermath of the real torrent that passed this way several hours before.
This photo shows the calmed flow, the aftermath of the real torrent that passed this way several hours before.
A metal grid was installed on the gutter/gully terminal, by the Highways agency
to prevent debris from entering the underground pipe to the Gilcambon destination terminal outfall.
This grid requires frequent intervention to prevent it being blocked by dedris.
It is shown here in an 80% blocked state.
Photo: Wednesday 25th February 2015
This grid requires frequent intervention to prevent it being blocked by dedris.
It is shown here in an 80% blocked state.
Photo: Wednesday 25th February 2015
Phase 2 was great success, UNTIL inadvertent alterations were carried out on a water coarse on private land, just a short time after the completion of phase 2.
(as highlighted down the page).
It is very important to note, that to maintain the efficient operation of these drains, in the way they have been positioned and designed, even a minor alteration, deviation or blockage to any existing water coarse on private land could alter the efficiency of the complete system, and therefore create a potential for flooding.
It is very important that the whole community works together as a team to ensure that all the road drain gullies and inlet grids are kept clear of debris during periods of heavy and relentless rain, (even on private land).
This gully is shown in a 90% blocked state.
This gully is shown in a 90% blocked state.
Photo below: Wednesday 25th Feb.2015, (the day before the event).
This is an open gutter which runs down the side of the field on the north side of Salter lonning.
It terminates into a large diameter underground pipe which runs across the field on the opposite side of the road to a final destination outlet in the Gillcambon beck, 50yds above the foot bridge.
The concrete pipe is shown below, the day before the event in an 80% blocked state.
The gutter has two very vulnerable points which at certain times cause it to seriously burst its bank to cause an unscheduled surface water deviation across the field, in turn crucially avoiding entry to the drain infrastructure on Salter Lonning, and the purpose built underground drain that conveys it to its intended destination terminal outfalls in both the Gillcambon Beck and River Caldew.
During heavy downpours of rain, a torrent flows freely and unhindered from this overflowing gutter, across the field, then through the hedge onto Salter Lonning just before Ashdene & Mally Lonning, then flowing directly towards the vulnerable properties of MILLHOUSE. This overflow across the field literally by-passes the entire phase 2 Salter Lonning drains infrastructure.
During heavy downpours of rain, a torrent flows freely and unhindered from this overflowing gutter, across the field, then through the hedge onto Salter Lonning just before Ashdene & Mally Lonning, then flowing directly towards the vulnerable properties of MILLHOUSE. This overflow across the field literally by-passes the entire phase 2 Salter Lonning drains infrastructure.
Photo below: Wednesday 25th February 2015, (the day before the event).
This low capacity concrete pipe has been installed in the gutter, (just over 20 years ago) which is very vulnerable to blockage from floating debris. But paramountly, its just not big enough.
The concrete pipe is shown below, the day before the event in an 80% blocked state.
The smaller volume capacity of this pipe does not match the gutter size, (3rd of size) when it is plummeted into a state of full spate flow after only a short period of heavy thundery type rainfall.
This pipe was originally installed as a bridge, or an animal overpass, in the mid 1990's, (just after the completion of phase 2 of the road drains) but it does not appear to have been used as such for a great deal of time. For the sake of the vulnerable homes and people of MILLHOUSE,
the land owner was approached in February 2015, with a friendly request to contribute, but he insisted that the pipe was not causing a problem, and seemed reluctant to upgrade or remove it.
Perhaps if he was experiencing the (no joke) devastation to his own home being flooded on the current regular basis because of it, he would have a very different attitude.
To date, this very vulnerable to blockage low capacity pipe still remains, in position.
A potential hazard to vulnerable homes.
Photo below: Thursday 26th Feb. 2015, (aftermath).
(The next morning after the above photo).
This is the result of the blocked pipe after heavy over night rain.
As, and when the pipe is blocked with debris, the gutter spills out onto the field, to head directly to the mercy of the village, as unhindered surface flood water.
Aftermath Photos, (above & below) : Thursday 26th February 2015
The full volume of the gutter is inadvertently deviated across the field towards the village, completely by-passing the upper Salter Lonning road gullies and drain infrastructure which terminates in the old Millrace then the River Caldew.
The flow shown here is reasonably tame, BUT during the overnight heavy thundery rain the blocked overflowing gutter deviation became an unhindered torrent across the field, through the hedge onto the road, by-passing most of the purpose built road drain infrastructure of gully entries .
This overnight rain event was reasonably tame compared to some of the previous horrendous thunder storm rain events which succeeded in flooding a number of homes in MILLHOUSE
in the past.
With appropriate action in this hot spot area, (highlighted here) the devastating flooding events could have been completely avoided.
To date, NO remedial alterations have been carried out therefore it remains ripe to reocurr.
Photos: Thursday 26th February 2015, (aftermath).
This steel grid is also very perseptible to blockage, and requires regular attention by the villagers to ensure its kept clear.
Failure of this crucial maintenance results in the overflow of the gutter onto Salter lonning, instead of entering the purpose built underground drain to the Gillcambon Beck terminal outfall.
Failure of this crucial maintenance results in the overflow of the gutter onto Salter lonning, instead of entering the purpose built underground drain to the Gillcambon Beck terminal outfall.
Storm "Franklin" Sunday 20th February 2022
(7 years on from the above event)
An almost duplicate performance (of the previous documented event above) occurred during Storm Frankilin on Sunday 20th February 2022 when again the concrete pipe was witnessed by many as again being blocked by debris, again diverting the flood water across the field towards the village, again by-passing all the drainage infrastructure, again creating concerns for potential property flooding in the village.
The land owner was again approached by a Parish Councillor about the offending concrete pipe, who retaliated with rather unwarranted aggressive resentment and some words of language not found in the English Dictionary.
We do have to realise, that during the current times of financial cut-backs by local authorities and government environmental bodies, we have to take for granted that we cannot rely on them for any help. We are fortunate to have a credible and very substantial drain infrastructure already in place. All we have to do, as a team, probably at short notice, is physically make sure it is maintained by keeping all the inlet grids, and the outlet, clear of debris & silt. Be vigilant to any natural or avoidable changes made, or blockages to water courses on private land. The drain infrastructure will then work as efficiently as the day it was installed.
The facts are very clear and simple.
If we abuse, or don't maintain the system, IT WON'T WORK.
