THS Mayhem in 2006

Tewkesbury Historical Society

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Mayhem?

Photos of the Swilgate engulfing the Cricket Ground on the morning of the match!

So popular is it to play at Dumbleton Cricket Club, that the Tewkesbury Staff cricket team is honoured to be allocated, each year, a Wednesday near 17 May. Much to our chagrin, so many of these matches have been lost to May rain. In 2006 it started raining on this day – and a week later the failure of the Swilgate to enter the swollen River Severn flooded the Swilgate Cricket ground so that our match against them was also lost to rain.

So does it often rain heavily in May? Records of Tewkesbury Historical Society recorded that, at the White Bear, target of so many floods, at 8 p.m. 15 May, 1886, flood waves broke over the ground floor window sills – as it has done so many times before and since.[1]

During the weekend of 13 May 1886, there occurred the “highest flood since 1852” during which the Causeway, from the Black Bear to the Mythe, was covered to some 22 inches. To commemorate the famous exploit of the Town Clerk in the great flood of 1770, Mr. Gray of Abbey Terrace, the Borough Surveyor, completed a rowing trip taken round the town.[2]

Twice the twentieth century May floods have caused havoc: in 1903 there were “storms and floods: severe weather for week resulted in flood and damage to property”[3] and in 1931 there was a “flood record at Tewkesbury”.[4]

Before we start to relax and dream of the sunny strawberries and cream of June, we should remember that in 1843, on 10 June, “the Ham flooded and hay crop was ruined after 41 days of rain”.[5]  Flood records, in living memory, always evoke those of the spring of 1947 but Derek Round has reminded us that, on 7 June 1924, there was an extraordinary flood which isolated the town and in which some enterprising fisherman, in danger of being robbed of their livelihood, earned a colossal £50 rescuing not only the horses but also the Morgan car of Mr. Unwin of Longdon Court.[6]

Will 2006 beat this record? We cricketers hope not. However, what is certain is that if we undertake the research, British weather will cause mayhem in any month – not just in May. 

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