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Dearne Valley Railway

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84-766: The Dearne Valley Railway (DVR) was a railway line which ran through the valley of the River Dearne in South Yorkshire , England. It was incorporated by an Act of Parliament on 6 August 1897, which authorised the building of a line between Brierley Junction, on the main line of the Hull and Barnsley Railway , to junctions with the Great Northern Railway and the Great Northern and Great Eastern Joint Railway south-east of Doncaster. Although

168-949: A 48-hour period, compared with the usual 8,000 calls a year. On 22 July, Gloucester City A.F.C. 's Stadium was flooded, and the Tewkesbury road at Longford was completely impassable by the Longford Inn. Tewkesbury was completely cut off with no road access, parts of the town were under around 3 feet (0.9 m) of water and flood waters entered Tewkesbury Abbey for the first time in 247 years. Tewkesbury's Mythe Water Treatment Works were flooded. Severn Trent Water warned that treated water would run out by early Sunday evening in Tewkesbury , Cheltenham , Gloucester and surrounding areas. Combined military and civil emergency services tried to stop floods reaching

252-404: A breeding ground for bitterns in due course. After the washlands, the river flows to the north of Wath upon Dearne , and to the south of Bolton on Dearne . The railway to Bolton on Dearne station crosses, after which the river is flanked by the disused Bolton Common tip on the south bank. From the village of Adwick upon Dearne , which is a little further to the south, Harlington Road crosses

336-462: A further three years. The sewage treatment works at Darton and Lundwood, on either side of Barnsley, were largely responsible. Discharges from the Darton sewage treatment works contained residues from dyes used by a local carpet manufacturer, which reached the works by a foul sewer, but could not be adequately treated by the existing processes. As a result, the final effluent was a deep red colour, and

420-708: A gas main and causing the surrounding area to be evacuated. On 1 July, a woman was pulled out of the River Severn at Jackfield on the Telford and Wrekin border near Ironbridge . By 24 July, the UK National Ballooning Championships in Ludlow had been cancelled for the first time in their 32-year history. By 21 July, flooded parts of Warwickshire included Alcester , Stratford-upon-Avon , Shipston on Stour and Water Orton . To

504-536: A large millpond, which supplied mills at Denby Dale. Beyond the mills, the river passes under a railway viaduct near Denby Dale railway station . The curved viaduct with 21 tall arches was built by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway in 1884. The river flows to the north east closely following the A636 road. It is joined by Thorpe Dike at Kitchenroyd. It passes through Scissett and west of Clayton West where it

588-678: A lesser extent, areas of Leamington Spa and Warwick also experienced flooding. Several nature reserves in the Tame Valley , including Ladywalk and Kingsbury Water Park were badly affected, just as ground- and reedbed- nesting birds were hatching young. 200 people were forced to leave Witton Road and Tame Road in Aston , Birmingham when the River Tame flooded. Water entered the streets of Shirley , Solihull . As in Warwickshire,

672-693: A month's rainfall or more in one day. The Met Office at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire reported 4.98 inches (126.6 mm): a sixth of its annual rainfall. The college at Pershore in Worcestershire reported 5.60 inches (142.2 mm), causing the Environment Agency to issue 16 further severe flood warnings. By 21 July, many towns and villages were flooded, with Gloucestershire , Worcestershire , Warwickshire , Wiltshire , Oxfordshire , Berkshire , London and South Wales facing

756-535: A poetry workshop at Littleworth Grange Primary Learning Centre, where children completed a poem about water treatment for which he supplied the first two lines. In June 2015, the Environment Agency announced that salmon had returned to the Dearne for the first time in 150 years. This follows the opening of a fish ladder at Sprotborough weir in 2014. The Environment Agency measure the water quality of

840-641: A series of lakes which form the Dearne Ings and Old Moor washlands. On the opposite side of the channel are the Bolton Ings washlands, which cover 110 acres (45 ha) and have been acquired by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). In 2011, the site was in its early stages of development, but the reedbeds have attracted spoonbills and avocets , and are expected to act as

924-607: A shallow, fast-flowing watercourse, and consists of deeper pools with a slower flow, which is suitable for various coarse fish as well as trout. By 1974, a modest improvement in water quality had been achieved by treatment of industrial effluent, and some fish managed to exist below the weir at the Star Paper Mill in Barnsley. The weir helped to oxygenate the water, and most of the fish had been washed downstream from Cannon Hall and Bretton Lakes. During flood conditions, many of

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1008-485: A slow-moving area of low pressure from the west of Biscay moved east across the British Isles . At the same time, an associated occluded front moved into Northern England, becoming very active as it did so with the peak rainfall on 15 June. Rainfall records were broken across the region, leading to localised flooding. As it weakened, the front moved north into Scotland on 16 June and left England and Wales with

1092-648: A small, unnamed brook north of Ross-on-Wye . Residents of East Bromyard were rescued after the River Frome burst its banks. On 12 June, Lostock Hall and Penwortham near Preston were hit by flash floods. On 3 July, heavy rain caused flooding in Earby and Ribchester , affecting homes and causing the Royal Lancashire Show to be cancelled on 9 July. On 4 July, the Blackburn Mela

1176-469: A temporary non-potable water supply to 10,000 homes in Tewkesbury. It was not until 7 August – 16 days after Mythe Treatment Works stopped pumping – that the tap water for the 140,000 homes affected was again declared safe to drink. In terms of casualties, a man and his 24-year-old son died from asphyxiation from carbon monoxide poisoning on 27 July when attempting to stop flooding in

1260-519: A very unstable airmass, frequent heavy showers, thunderstorms and cloudy conditions. This led to localised flash flooding and prevented significant drying where earlier rains had fallen. On 25 June, another unseasonably low pressure (993  hPa  / 29.3  inHg ) depression, Cyclone Uriah, moved across England. The associated front settled over northern and eastern England and dumped more than 3.9 inches (100 mm) of rain in places. The combination of high rainfall and high water levels from

1344-433: Is a regeneration area. The river has been subject to channel engineering to ease the problem of flooding. A new channel was constructed near its mouth in the 1950s, as the old route had been affected by mining subsidence. Washlands, which can be progressively flooded as water levels rise, were constructed in the 1960s and 1970s. A flood relief channel and a regulator to restrict the flow was built at Bolton upon Dearne. During

1428-474: Is crossed by the Kirklees Light Railway . Park Gate Dike swells the flow, before a double-arched skew bridge built in the early 19th century carries the A636 over the channel. Nearby is a hump-backed packhorse bridge with a single arch, probably built in the previous century, after which the river turns to the east to pass the upper and lower lakes in a channel from where it feed the lakes in

1512-552: Is rated good or fail. The Dearne and several of its tributaries are designated as "heavily modified", which means that the channels have been altered by human activity, and the criteria for this designation are defined by the Water Framework Directive . The water quality of the Dearne and its tributaries was as follows in 2019. Like most rivers in the UK, the chemical status changed from good to fail in 2019, due to

1596-471: The 2007 United Kingdom floods , the washlands filled to capacity but the regulator could not be operated as it had been vandalised. Industrialisation caused the river and the Dearne and Dove Canal , to become grossly polluted in the early nineteenth century and fish populations died. The West Riding River Board tried to address the problems in 1896 with limited success and much of the river remained dead until

1680-685: The Atomic Weapons Establishment at Burghfield , which handles the United Kingdom's nuclear warheads, resulting in a suspension of work for almost a year. On 3 June, Stoke Goldington suffered flash flooding affecting 25 homes. Stoke Goldington was affected again on 3 July, with 10 houses being flooded. By 21 July, seventy homes and businesses were flooded by the River Ouse in Buckingham and 30 people spent

1764-556: The London and North Western Railway on 1 January 1922; the combined organisation (also known as the London and North Western Railway) absorbed the DVR on the same day. It duly passed to the London, Midland and Scottish Railway on 1 January 1923. Passenger services ceased on 10 September 1951, the last trains having run on 9 September. Goods traffic continued but several changes were made to

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1848-809: The M4 was closed after a landslide caused by flooding between Junctions 12 and 13 eastbound. Approximately 1,100 properties in Thatcham were affected by flash flooding. By 21 July, Newbury and Maidenhead town centres were flooded, the shopping mall in Maidenhead was closed and parts of the Glade Festival were flooded. Officials warned that the River Thames , the River Ock , and its tributaries from Charney could burst their banks. Trinity School

1932-780: The River Don at Denaby Main . Its main tributary is the River Dove , which joins it at Darfield. The river was one of those affected by the 2007 United Kingdom floods . The course of the river is accessible to walkers as the Dearne Way, a long distance footpath from Dearne Head to the river's junction with the Don. Places of interest along the Dearne include the Yorkshire Sculpture Park at West Bretton , and Monk Bretton Priory . The Dearne Valley below Barnsley

2016-1275: The River Idle and River Ryton respectively overtopped their banks. Many rivers burst their banks, including both the Thames and the Cherwell in Oxford and the Ock in Abingdon the Windrush in Witney and the Evenlode . By 21 July, Banbury and Witney were flooded. Oxford, particularly Botley , was flooded and some 300 people were evacuated. On 22 July, the Environment Agency warned of further flooding and 1,500 people in Abingdon were evacuated. Forty thousand sandbags were transported from Grantham in Lincolnshire to Abingdon and Oxford. By 23 July, Oxford, Abingdon, Kidlington and Bladon were affected; some 3,000 homes including

2100-643: The South Yorkshire Joint Railway , the junctions here being rebuilt in connection with the Doncaster area re-signalling in early May 1977. River Dearne The River Dearne South Yorkshire , England flows roughly east for more than 30 kilometres (19 mi), from its source just inside West Yorkshire . It flows through Denby Dale , Clayton West , Darton , Barnsley , Darfield , Wath upon Dearne , Bolton on Dearne , Adwick upon Dearne and Mexborough to its confluence with

2184-671: The Walham electricity substation in Gloucester supplying half a million people. On 23 July 50,000 Gloucestershire homes were left without electricity after a major electricity substation in Castle Meads had to be turned off. Efforts to stop flooding at Walham substation succeeded; the Castle Meads substation was repaired the next day. By 24 July, an estimated 420,000 people were without running water, including most of

2268-525: The Yorkshire Sculpture Park . Bretton Hall lies to the north. The river turns south at the dam of the lower lake and passes over weirs before picking up the outflow from the lakes, after which the 75-metre (246 ft) contour is crossed. Next it turns to the south east and passes under the A637 road, the M1 motorway and the sliproads which form part of Junction 38, to reach Darton . The Cawthorne Dike joins from

2352-411: The 1980s, when industrial effluents were removed before they were discharged and improvements were made to sewage treatment. Despite setbacks, fish populations had been partially reinstated by the early 1990s. Channel engineering was carried out at Denaby in the 1990s, to re-introduce bends, deep pools and shallow gravel riffles, to assist fish spawning. In June 2015, salmon were reported in the river for

2436-518: The Army was brought in to help emergency services supply the inhabitants of Upton-upon-Severn which was cut off by floodwater. On 1 June, the first day of the floods. A road in Cropthorne near Worcester was brutally forced down by a high impact of water flowing underneath the road in a pipe. The hole it made was 13 feet (4.0 m) deep and 33 feet (10 m) wide, traffic throughout the county

2520-675: The Don was adjacent to the railway sidings of the Cadeby Main colliery, but by 1930 it had been moved further upstream, much closer to its present location. There is a long-distance path which follows the course of the river from its source to its junction with the River Don. It is known as the Dearne Way, and the paths are marked on current editions of the Ordnance Survey maps. The path is around 30 miles (48 km) long and can be walked in 12 to 16 hours. Walkers who start at

2604-496: The Environment Agency carried out another fish restocking programme. Improvements to water quality through Barnsley highlighted the fact that fish populations did not exist below the discharge from the Lundwood sewage treatment works to the east of Barnsley. As the population of Barnsley had increased, the volume of effluent received by the works had increased without a corresponding increase in its ability to treat it. In addition,

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2688-460: The Houghton washlands resulted from the extremely high water levels, which overtopped the banks and caused erosion to take place. Following the floods, a reassessment of the function of the regulators was carried out, and in view of the costs of maintaining them, the Environment Agency intend to remove them once some reconfiguration of the river channel has been completed. This work will ensure that

2772-671: The June and July rescue efforts as the biggest in the UK in peacetime. The Environment Agency described the July floods as critical and expected them to exceed the 1947 benchmark . June 2007 started quietly with an anticyclone to the north of the United Kingdom maintaining a dry, cool easterly flow. From 10 June the high pressure began to break down as an upper trough moved into the area, triggering thunderstorms that caused flooding in Northern Ireland on 12 June. Later that week,

2856-590: The Kassam stadium shelter while another 250 decided to stay with family and friends. Osney Mead substation, which supplies power to Oxford city centre, was threatened but did not flood. Later that evening, the Thames breached its banks at Henley . By 19 June, rain had washed away the main road at Hampton Loade and the Severn Valley Railway line from Bridgnorth was closed after numerous landslips on

2940-515: The River Dove joins the Dearne, Darfield, Houghton and Cudworth. Some of the storage capacity was lost as a result of mining schemes, and a regulator was installed at Bolton in 1972, allowing the flow to be restricted by a sluice gate. During the flooding in 2007 , all of the washlands filled to capacity, although the Bolton regulator could not be operated as it had been vandalised. Some damage to

3024-625: The Tame caused losses at a nature reserve; this time RSPB Sandwell Valley . In the Dudley borough flooding damaged local schools, shops and communities. Schools opened the doors with parts of buildings flooded with water, the damage in the West Midlands area estimated at 1.9 billion (2007 GDP). On 20 July, Swindon had a month's rainfall in less than half a day. More than 50 people were rescued from their flooded homes. By 19 June, Worcestershire

3108-542: The United Kingdom (see List of weather records ). Average rainfall across the country was 5.5 inches (140 mm); more than double the June average. Some areas received a month's worth of precipitation in 24 hours. It was the UK's wettest May–July period since records began in 1776. July had unusually unsettled weather and above-average rainfall through the month, peaking on 20 July as an active frontal system dumped more than 4.7 inches (120 mm) of rain in southern England. Civil and military authorities described

3192-488: The Yorkshire Water Authority a year later showed that many of these were surviving. By 1992, there was evidence that the fish were breeding in the river, and naturally bred brown trout were found between Denby Dale and Clayton West in 1994, for the first time in over 100 years. The trout population in the upper Dearne was declared to be self-sustaining by 1996. The river below Clayton West ceases to be

3276-514: The average monthly total for June for the whole UK was 2.86 inches (72.6 mm). On 27 June, the Met Office released an early warning of severe weather for the approaching weekend, stating that 0.79 to 1.97 inches (20 to 50 mm) of rain could fall in some areas, raising the possibility of more flooding within the already saturated flood plains. On 20 July, another active frontal system moved across Southern England. Many places recorded

3360-614: The brunt of the heavy rainfall. Climate researchers have suggested that the unusual weather leading to the floods may be linked to this year's appearance of La Nina in the Pacific Ocean, and the jet stream being further south than normal. England was affected by the June and July floods, with the North badly hit in June, the West badly hit in July, and many areas hit in both. It was England's wettest July on record. Gloucestershire

3444-440: The canal over the river. Two more road bridges follow, the second of which carries the A633 Grange Lane. Just before the bridge is Priory Mill, a thirteenth-century mill which was heavily rebuilt by Sir William Armyne in 1635, and further remodelled in the nineteenth century. It was powered by a leat from the river, which supplied internal water wheels. Water from the leat was also channelled to Monk Bretton Priory , where it flushed

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3528-400: The city of Hereford remains surrounded and flooded by water after the River Lugg burst its banks. On the afternoon of 24 July the Fire Service began pumping flood water out of the village, but not before 130 residents were evacuated. Houses, including the Herefordshire home of Daily Mail writer Quentin Letts , were flooded by a torrent of water gushing from what had previously been only

3612-479: The earlier rainfall led to extensive flooding across many parts of England and Wales, with the Midlands, Gloucestershire , Worcestershire , South, West and East Yorkshire the most affected. Gales along the east coast also caused storm damage. RAF Fylingdales on the North York Moors reported rainfall totals of 4.1 inches (103 mm) in 24 hours, an estimated 3.9 inches (100 mm) in Hull and 3.0 inches (77 mm) on Emley Moor in West Yorkshire. Until 2007,

3696-445: The early 1900s, the river was lifeless between Barnsley and the Don, with fish unable to survive in the cocktail of chemicals. The River Dove was also lifeless, although the Cawthorne Dyke and several other small tributaries managed to retain populations of brown trout. The situation had not improved by the 1960s, when the Yorkshire Ouse River Board noted that industrial waste from the mining, paper making, brewing and textile industries

3780-405: The first time in 150 years. The river rises just below the 330-metre (1,080 ft) contour west of Birdsedge. Within around 1.9 miles (3 km), it reaches the A635 Barnsley Road bridge at Denby Dale , by which time it has dropped below the 175-metre (574 ft) contour, and its flow has been swelled by several springs and the output of Park Dike. Below the bridge, Munchcliffe Beck joins near

3864-552: The flow of the river to be diverted through the floodbank and into the washland when there were high levels at the junction with the River Don. The sluice was rebuilt in 1973. Additional washlands were created at Harlington and North Ings, and the river was straightened and realigned. Further upriver, a flood relief channel was built at Bolton upon Dearne, and more washlands were formed between Wath railway bridge and Adwick bridge. The Bolton Ings and Old Moor washlands were next to be created, to be followed by those at Wombwell Ings, where

3948-510: The home of William Morris at Kelmscott were flooded and 600 residents were evacuated, with many taking refuge in Oxford United Football Club 's Kassam Stadium . On 24 July the Thames in Abingdon rose 3 feet (0.9 m) in less than 12 hours to a "perilously high" level and the Thames and the Severn were expected to rise to 20 feet (6.1 m) higher than normal. On 25 July residents of Osney in west Oxford were advised to leave their homes. About 30 people went to

4032-399: The kitchens and the reredorter . Next there are two former railway bridges which now carry footpaths. Soon sections of the disused Dearne and Dove Canal run parallel to the river, and after passing under two more railway bridges, the course turns to the south to reach Darfield , below which the River Dove joins from the west. The river turns to the east again, passing to the north east of

4116-606: The line was considered an independent company it was worked by the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (LYR). It opened in sections over seven years from 1902. Construction was complete by 1908-9 the work being carried out by contractors Naylor Bros., Gates and Hogg, Henry Lovatt, and Whittaker Bros . At first, only goods traffic was carried. Passenger trains came to the line on 3 June 1912 running between Wakefield Kirkgate and Edlington with intermediate halts serving Ryhill , Grimethorpe , Great Houghton , Goldthorpe and Thurnscoe , Harlington and Denaby . The LYR amalgamated with

4200-432: The line. Also, on 19 June/20 June, parts of the town of Shifnal near Telford , were flooded when the Wesley Brook burst its banks. Some of the residents blame Severn Trent Water for opening floodgates at Priors Lee balancing lake, however no such gates exist. Repair costs to the railway were estimated at £2 million. On 26 June, the Burway Bridge collapsed, disrupting one of the main roads into Ludlow , severing

4284-400: The lower Dearne has become an important venue for angling. Further improvements to the Lundwood sewage treatment works began in 2007 to enable it to comply with the Freshwater Fish Directive, and although the site was inundated during the floods of 2007, the scheme, which cost £8 million, was completed in 2008. To celebrate the opening of the new works, the poet Ian McMillan was asked to run

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4368-600: The lower river fluctuated, as a result of pollution incidents on the middle river, but by 1994, chub and dace were clearly breeding in the river. Breeding was assisted by re-engineering of the channel at Pastures Road, Denaby, which had been straightened in the 1960s after it was affected by subsidence. A series of bends were created, which encourage the formation of deep pools and shallow gravel riffles. These features are needed by dace and barbel for successful spawning, and prevent young fish from being washed downstream in flood conditions. Water quality has continued to improve, and

4452-501: The main roads out the town. On 17 July, flooding affected Peterlee town centre, closing shops and a local school. A 64-year-old man hit his head and died after trying to bail out his flooded home in Alston, Cumbria . On 25 June, flooding affected properties in Coal Aston , Calow and Chesterfield town centre, and the A617 was covered by more than 2 feet (0.6 m) of floodwater causing traffic delays. On 19 July, Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service attended 1,800 calls in

4536-512: The night in the town's Radcliffe centre, but 10 miles (16 km) away a system of balancing lakes prevented Milton Keynes from suffering significantly, apart from a flash flood of Stony Stratford High Street from the River Ouse . On 24 July, four bridges in St Neots , Cambridgeshire were shut when the river level peaked, and the Environment Agency warned residents in the St Neots, Paxton and Offords areas to expect flooding that night. By 25 July, parts of St Ives were flooded. Later

4620-414: The outfall reached the river along a 440-yard (400 m) stretch of the Cliffe Bridge Dyke, which had suffered from subsidence. This resulted in slow movement along the dyke, which sometimes caused the effluent to become septic before it reached the main channel. A major programme of refurbishment was carried out at the works between 1997 and 1998, to improve the quality of discharge. The fish populations on

4704-575: The population of Gloucester, Cheltenham, and Tewkesbury. Emergency services continued repair work at the Mythe water-treatment works but Severn Trent Water estimated that water supplies would not be restored for at least 14 days. 900 drinking water bowsers were brought in and the Army was mobilised to distribute three million bottles of water a day and keep the bowsers filled. Coors , Carlsberg , Scottish and Newcastle , Inbev and Greene King brewing companies offered 23 beer tankers to help supply drinking water. On 26 July Severn Trent Water organised

4788-402: The population would be washed further downstream, to be replaced by others from the lakes. A survey in 1982 found gudgeon, minnow and three-spined stickleback, which had increased by 1985, and over 10,000 coarse fish were released as part of a restocking programme. However, most of these were killed by serious pollution incidents that affected the river in 1987 and 1988, and incidents continued for

4872-401: The presence of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE), perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS), mercury compounds and cypermethrin, none of which had previously been included in the assessment. Download coordinates as: [REDACTED] Media related to River Dearne at Wikimedia Commons 2007 United Kingdom floods A series of large floods occurred in parts of the United Kingdom during

4956-406: The river at Adwick Bridge, a grade II listed twin-arched bridge built of sandstone around 1800. Denaby Ings nature reserve is separated from the river by a railway embankment on the north bank. The river sweeps round to the south to join the River Don just below Mexborough Low Lock, where Mexborough New Cut on the River Don Navigation rejoins the river. In 1903 the junction of the river with

5040-419: The river channel would not provide a satisfactory solution, as it would just move the problem to the River Don, and therefore a series of washlands were created, which could be progressively flooded if required, without affecting centres of population. Near the mouth of the river, Dearne Mouth washland, which is now known as the Denaby Ings Nature Reserve, was created in 1963, and a manually operated sluice allowed

5124-418: The river from land which had been contaminated by them for another ten years. Any progress with the re-establishment of fish stocks was destroyed by a series of releases of pollutants into the river during the 1970s and 1980s. By 1987, water quality had improved sufficiently to try restocking the upper river, and large numbers of yearling trout were released into the river in April. A fish survey carried out by

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5208-426: The river systems in England. Each is given an overall ecological status, which may be one of five levels: high, good, moderate, poor and bad. There are several components that are used to determine this, including biological status, which looks at the quantity and varieties of invertebrates , angiosperms and fish. Chemical status, which compares the concentrations of various chemicals against known safe concentrations,

5292-434: The river without adequate cooling, and the temperature rose. As early as 1896, the West Riding River Board was working hard to improve the situation, and achieved limited success by 1902, when they produced a report. They identified 44 small sewage treatment plants, none of which treated the sewage adequately, and noted that the river was "much polluted by domestic sewage and by untreated or partially treated trade refuse." By

5376-417: The river, as it provided a way to transport the coal to Sheffield and Rotherham, where it was used in the steelworks. This led to the rapid development of more and larger collieries. The population grew rapidly, but it was housed in small villages near the pits. With no urban infrastructure, sewage polluted the river, as did the industrial discharges from the mines. Parts of the upper river were well suited to

5460-612: The same day, the Environment Agency advised residents near the River Great Ouse that the peak had passed and further flooding was unlikely. On 15 June, heavy rainfall caused the postponement of the fourth test match between England and the West Indies at the Riverside Ground , Chester-le-Street . On 23 June, flash floods affected parts of Darlington and Stanhope Road, Northgate, St Cuthbert's Way, Parkgate and Haughton Road were closed after water levels rose by about 2 feet (0.6 m) . It has also led to Woodland Road to improve its drainage to prevent such flooding on one of

5544-405: The source descend through 1,368 feet (417 m) over the length of the walk. By the 1950s, the course of the river near its mouth had been affected by subsidence from coal mining, and the lowering of the channel resulted in much of the surrounding land being regularly flooded. In order to alleviate the problem and restore the gradient of the channel at this point, a new channel was constructed on

5628-422: The south side of the railway embankment, from near Harlington to the River Don. The old channel can still be seen on the north side of the embankment, and connects to the Denaby Ings Nature Reserve. As part of a comprehensive assessment of flood risks caused by the River Don and its tributaries, the River Dearne Improvement Scheme was implemented between 1963 and 1973. It was recognised that simple enlargement of

5712-419: The summer of 2007. The worst of the flooding occurred across parts of Northern Ireland and Scotland on 14 June; East Yorkshire and the Midlands on 15 June; Yorkshire , the Midlands, Gloucestershire , Herefordshire and Worcestershire on 25 June; and Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Oxfordshire , Berkshire and South Wales on 28 July 2007. June was one of the wettest months on record in

5796-407: The track layout. The lines between (near) Grimethorpe Colliery and Brierley Junction and from Grimethorpe Colliery and Edlington were closed on the opening of a new connection from the Midland Railway 's main line near Houghton in 1966. The Dearne Valley connection to Yorkshire Main Colliery at Edlington was removed in May 1972, the colliery being served by a connection to St. Catherine's Junction on

5880-482: The unventilated Tewkesbury Rugby Football Club cellar. On 28 July, the body of a 19-year-old man, reported missing seven days earlier, was recovered in Tewkesbury. On 20 July flooding occurred in many parts of Greater London. Water and power supplies were not disrupted but parts of South West London were under 2 feet (61 cm) of water. Heathrow Airport cancelled 141 flights. Two of four rail lines in South Croydon were closed by landslips. The London Underground

5964-411: The upper 1.5 miles (2.4 km) of the river, but could not proceed downstream due to dams erected for the woollen mills. Moth-proofing agents were released by the mills into the water, which were highly toxic to fish, and although the discharge of these chemicals ceased in 1979, when they were routed to a sewer for treatment, the problem did not immediately go away, as the chemicals continued to seep into

6048-436: The washlands fill and empty at the appropriate points in a flood cycle. In the late 1700s, the river held good populations of fish. Industrial development of the valley consisted of several deep coal mines, but they were fairly small, and did not significantly pollute the river. There were collieries at Smithies, Honeywell, Queens Ground and Mount Osborne. The opening of the Dearne and Dove Canal in 1810 had serious impacts on

6132-605: The west as it turns to the east and passes under the Wakefield to Barnsley railway line. The B6428 crosses on Barugh Bridge, a single-span bridge made of rock-faced stone, which bears the date 1850 on the north-west buttress. As the river approaches Barnsley , the remains of the Barnsley Canal follow it on the south bank. Beyond the A61 Old Mill Lane bridge there was a mill, after which an aqueduct carried

6216-400: The woollen trade, and mills developed in the 19th century, at Denby Dale, Scissett and Clayton West. The valley of the upper river is quite narrow, and housing was provided by building terraces, which often backed on to the river. Again, sewage ended up in the river, as did the effluent from processing the wool, which included caustic washing agents and dyes. Water used in washing was returned to

6300-703: Was flooded after the River Severn overtopped its banks, causing the next day's Twenty20 match against Warwickshire to be cancelled. On 17 July, Tenbury Wells in Worcestershire was flooded for the second time in three weeks after a thunderstorm caused flash flooding. By 21 July the M5 was affected, compounded by the closure of the Strensham services , and the motorway was closed, stranding hundreds in their vehicles overnight. By 23 July, parts of Worcestershire were under 6 feet (2 m) of water and

6384-410: Was a major factor in the poor biochemical oxygen demand ratings for the river. Major improvements, including new primary settlement tanks and tertiary treatment lagoons, were made to the treatment works, and the carpet manufacturers installed facilities to treat their effluent before it was discharged to the sewer. By 1994, fish were again appearing below the Star Paper Mill weir, and Yorkshire Water and

6468-601: Was affected by flooding. A 68-year-old motorist (Judge Eric Dickinson) died after becoming trapped in his vehicle in flood water near Pershore whilst attempting to cross an old ford in Bow Brook which was by then 2 m deep. The waters were still rising, endangering the confluence of the River Teme and the River Severn . On 26 June 2007 the New Road Ground , home to Worcestershire County Cricket Club ,

6552-403: Was badly affected by the flooding as well due to Vodafone's HQ nearby. Vodafone's ornamental lake overflowed due to the sudden downpour and badly damaged Trinity School's astro turf to the front of the school as well as some damage to inside the school. In Reading , rail services to the southwest were affected and westbound trains from Paddington could go no further. The flood waters affected

6636-557: Was being dumping into the river without any treatment. Pressure from the Board and from local authorities based along the river resulted in some treatment being carried out, but by 1974 much of the river was still rated as Class E on the six-point water quality scale, which indicated it was of poor quality, with some parts rated as Class F, meaning that they grossly polluted with little or no life. Nevertheless, small pockets of fish began to appear. A small population of brown trout had survived in

6720-521: Was cancelled due to ground conditions. On 18 July, Walton-le-Dale near Preston was hit by flash floods. Louth and Horncastle were severely flooded, with some roads in that area impassable. Children at a school in Horncastle were evacuated because of floods. More than 600-flood related calls occurred across the county. In Lincoln, mainly round the Stamp End area, a house called Shuttleworth House

6804-407: Was completely flooded with water in its insides. After power was lost in the area, more than 200 people were rescued in dinghies. On 27 June 2007, flash flooding caused extensive damage to the villages of Lambley , Woodborough and Burton Joyce . Major towns were hit including Mansfield and Hucknall but not as severely as Lambley . The same day, flooding occurred at Retford and Worksop after

6888-677: Was held up due to the collapsed main road. The site was named Cropthorne Canyon. On 15 June, the region was hit by flooding. Roads including the A63 and A1105 in Hull and schools in the region were closed, the Hull Lord Mayor's Parade was cancelled, the Festival of Football was postponed, police declared a major incident and Hessle , on the border between Hull City Council and East Riding of Yorkshire Council , suffered two square miles of severe sewage-contaminated flooding. On 25 June,

6972-649: Was severely disrupted and 25 stations were closed. By 19 June, Herefordshire was affected by flooding. The M50 motorway near Ledbury was closed on 22 July due to flooding. More than 5,200 people in and around Bromyard , Herefordshire were without clean water on 22 and 23 July after the pumps at the Whitbourne works in Herefordshire failed. Once supply was restored residents were urged by Welsh Water to boil their tap-water until further notice. The village of Hampton Bishop , 3 miles (5 km) from

7056-633: Was the worst affected county – with both some minor flooding in June, and major flooding in July. Non-administrative counties and administrative counties affected by the flooding are given below. By 25 July, a number of low-lying parts adjacent to the river in Bedford and Luton were flooded and one man drowned attempting to swim across the River Great Ouse in Bedford. Parts of Felmersham and Turvey were also flooded. On 20 July,

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