"‘Those who have not been within six miles of Bridgwater within the last fortnight have missed one of the most remarkable sights ever witnessed in this country’, remarked the Western Gazette in November 1875. ‘Floods are no new thing in Somersetshire... but never,since the moors were artificially drained, never since railways were introduced, have the floods attained such a height, covered so enormous an area and caused so much loss and misery, as during the last few days". Steve Poole looks at the history of flooding in the West Country and how it has been presented, whilst taking into consideration how it has shaped the physical development of the region.
Tag: natural environment
Learning to live with ‘natural wonders’: the forgotten history of Cheddar Gorge
From Norway to Narroways: A Short History of Narroways Hill in St Werburghs, Bristol
Narroways Hill is the southernmost outlier of the Purbeck Ridge in N.E. Bristol. It is a hundred foot high hill composed of red Keuper Marl – a sticky red limey mud-stone. Once the entire region was covered by oakwoods. Harry McPhillimy looks at the long history of this historic place, and its role in the development of the Great Western Railway.