Home Places Streets and Communities Lakeland in South Yorkshire – Acres of Land Engulfed – Cattle Marooned

Lakeland in South Yorkshire – Acres of Land Engulfed – Cattle Marooned

July 1958

South Yorkshire Times July 5, 1958

Don and Dearne Floodwaters Create Lakeland in South Yorkshire
Acres of Land Are Engulfed. Cattle Marooned
Many Roads Impassable. Ferry Boat Breaks Away
Nine Cows Swim to Safety In A Torrent

Few folk in the Don and Dearne volleys can remember worse floods than those which have struck the Mexborough and Dearne districts this week. Many acres of low lying land were inundated late on Wednesday and during the early hours of Thursday, when following catastrophically heavy rains in the Sheffield area and an almost continuous downpour here, the Rivers Don and Dearne overflowed their banks in many places.

Some roads became impassable, others became awash and inconvenienced all forms of transport: cattle were marooned, but fortunately there were few reports of people being isolated.

Army Helps Out

The Army went into action at Bolton yesterday (Thursday).

Motorists attempting to cross the bridge on the Bolton-Mexborough road found themselves stranded in deep water and were towed out by a heavy recovery vehicle. Light traffic travelling between Mexborough and Bolton was diverted via Barnbugh.

The Bolton-on-Dearne — Wath Road was flooded for about 20 yds. near Wath North station.

The Big Drop !

While cows were being shepherded to Spout Farm. Wath-on-Dearne, on Wednesday morning, one cow suddenly found Itself in six feet of water at Town End, Wath.

It had fallen into a trench workmen have been excavating in connection with the laying of a gas main from Manvers to Barnsley, The cow was not in difficulty, however, and the farmworker was able quickly to rescue it.

Workmen engaged on the excavations had to pump water out of the trenches during Wednesday in order to continue their work. Many were kept busy in the morning carrying schoolchildren across the flooded pathways near Wath National School.

Don at Mexborough 3 ft. From 1875 Flood Level

Yesterday morning the River Don was only three feet below the record flood level reached by the river in October 1875, marked on the high stone wall near the landing stage at the Mexborough ferry.

The ferry was put out of action on Tuesday and the river, transformed into a raging torrent swept the boat from its moorings late on Wednesday night over half a mile downstream. The boat lodged against the road bridge at Denaby Main.

In places the river was three times its normal width and it was estimated that yesterday the water level at the ferry had risen over 10 feet since Tuesday. The landing stage on the Mexborough side of the river was three parts covered and the landing stage on the Old Denaby side was completely submerged.

Residents of Old Denaby had to make a detour of nearly two miles to get into Mexborough.

Allotments near the river bank were flooded and railings and fences had been swept away. The level of the river was still rising yesterday.

“Bedding” Supplied at Wath

Because of the recent deepening of Brook Dyke at Town End, Wath, the flood water subsided quickly this week. During the worst period when the entrance to the Vicarage was two feet under water, a mattress was washed into the Vicarage grounds on Wednesday.

A Diversion       

Flooding near Kilnhurst brick- fit works yesterday caused the Wood- th man Inn-Parkgate ‘buses to be diverted via Piccadilly.

Last Night’s Picture – Three Vast Lakes

The picture from Mexborough Road, High Melton, last night of the floods in the Mexborough and Adwick-on-Dearne areas revealed three vast lakes in the vicinity of Denaby Halt Station, Harlington village and Adwick-on-Dearne.

Mexborough Pastures Road is completely under water, and yesterday, for the first time for many years, this often flooded road was officially closed, A traffic diversion notice was posted at the top of Melton Hill.

Roads at Barnburgh, Harlington and Adwick-on-Dearne were in places under water, but traffic was able to proceed. During the night the River Dearne overflowed at the bridge by the pumping station at Adwick and by morning it was impossible to locate the course of the river. Adwick cricket ground was under water for three quarters of its area.

At Harlington the floods were within 75 yards of some of the houses in the village.

Caravan Stranded

In Floodwater on Pastures Road

A caravan dweller, Mr Peter Lee, had to take his three children on a site in Pastures Road, Mexborough, to a nearby railway embankment when the caravan was stranded by floodwater yesterday (Thursday) morning.

Mr Lee, his wife and three children awoke to find their caravan swamped with water. Taking his horse, Mr Lee tried to get through to Mexborough, but he found it impossible and so he took his children to the embankment to safety and he and his wife led the horse on a detour through High

‘Melton, Harlington and Adwick to Mexborough to seek help.

They arrived at 77, Clayfield view, Mexborough, the home of Mr T Meakin, at almost 7 o’clock when they secured a tent, which Mr Lee had given to Mr Meakin about a year ago for safekeeping, and the body of Mr Meakin tcart o go to their children.

Mr Meakin told a “South Yorkshire Times” reporter: “it was raining and I felt very sorry for them. They asked if they could have the tent which they had given me for safe-keeping and if they could borrow my cart.   I asked them if they wanted something to eat but they said no and said they wanted two get back to their children

Mr Meakin said the family had been on the site   in Pastures Road for about three weeks, adding “Mr Lee told me that they had tried to reach Mexborough the day before but had had to turn back.”

As far as he knew, the family had moved to High Melton on Thursday the Pastures Road was still impassable and the caravan was still stranded among the floodwater.

“Saved His Bacon” at Bolton

Smallholder, Mr Charles Holliday was marooned at his house on the banks of the Dearne at Bolton Bridge yesterday. Neighbouring fields under water and Mr Holiday had to rescue his pigs from the flood.

Unsuccessful Rescue Bid

Five cows belonging to Mr. Barnard Braithwaite, of Manor Farm, Cadeby, were marooned in a flooded field near Cadeby Colliery yesterday. He and farmworkers attempted to rescue them, but they were unsuccessful

Floods at Bolton

Floods at Kilnhurst