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Rainfall of almost one inch12 January 1962
Tremendous seas and trail of damage
Hurricane Force winds – a gust of 104 miles an hour was recorded at Hartland Coastguard Station – left a trail of damage around the North Devon coast early yesterday (Thursday). And the effect of the wind on the tide, coupled with heavy rainfall, led to further flooding in the Chanters Road district of Bideford. At Westward Ho! the story was said to be among the worst in living memory. Mountainous seas dashed over the promenade and houses in the Westbourne Terrace area, carrying massive pebbles even into Golf Links Road.
The pebble ridge was considerably weakened near the Bailey Bridge and slipway, allowing the sea to pour through and flood the Burrows. Stock were forced back to higher ground and a cow had to be rescued.
Four beach huts were washed from their foundations and three disintegrated. The fourth was found floating in the field together with the debris from the others as well as pots and pans.
At ‘The Gay Sombrero’ owned by Mr F Meadows, who...
Snow, snow and more snow!24 February 1978
Worst blizzard this century
The Torridge area – particularly the more remote country areas – was yesterday still recovering from the worst blizzard to hit the Westcountry this century.
At the peak of the storm, six and a half inches of snow were recorded in the Bideford area. Main problems, however, were caused by strong winds which swept the snow into huge drifts, some more than 20 feet hight, and which cut communications between many villages and towns.
Transport was at a standstill and many people had cause to thank the RAF rescue helicopters who flew hundreds of sorties, not only rescuing people who had been cut off but also delivering much needed supplies. They flew expectant mums to hospital – including Mrs Wendy Mitchell from Buckland Brewer – and among several kidney patients in Devon they airlifted to hospital was Mrs Colwill, of Bideford.
Most of the schools in North Devon were close and many villages in the Torridge area were without power and water – some until Wednesday.
Smiling in the face of adversity21 January 1955
Though Bideford housewives manage a smile in adverse circumstances.
People who live on the surrounding hills, and those who meet complacently at the dry Castle, Exeter, where the Devon County Council have their meetings, in duty bound should pause to consider the plight of some scores of householders in the lower portions of Bideford Borough.
Yet again this winter, housewives of Chanters Lane have awakened to find all their ground floor rooms flooded by water, not in the normal way from outside, but from inside, forced up through the drains and sinks by the laws of nature. The houses shown above were built long before Devon County Council built Kingsley Road, which helps to pond up the water brought down from Kenwith Valley, part of which lies in Northam and takes the stream from Buckleigh area, and part in the Rural District, and these Bideford householders are paying the price in health and sheer financial loss and dismay.
The full Gazette article dated 21 January 1955