Plaque, Flood Cottages

The plaque records details of the 'Awful Visitation' that happened to Tilshead in 1841. The Flood Cottages were built in 1842 from public fund to help the poor in the Tilshead and Shrewton parishes who had suffered in the Great Flood of 1841. Special circumstances created the great flood. Two days after a heavy snowstorm there was a rapid thaw and at about five o'clock on 16th January a torrent of water several feet deep rushed down the valley over the still frozen ground that was unable to absorb it. It is said that the water was up to fifteen feet deep as it poured through the village, sweeping some cottages clean away and only leaving a wall or chimney stack standing of others. The damaged amounted to many thousands of pounds for besides houses, barns, walls fences and animals were destroyed. Fortunately the people did have warning of the disaster and managed to escape the torrent.

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Submitted via Geograph

• village
• rural settlement
• tilshead
• geograph
• flood
• sign