The city’s first, charity-funded flood defences
Last updated 05:34, Friday, 01 August 2008
When John Lonsdale, a former iron merchant and tallow chandler, died in May 1847, aged 86, at Caldew Terrace (now part of Shaddongate), the Carlisle Journal gave a brief obituary.
He was remembered, said the newspaper, because “to his perseverance and energy the inhabitants of Caldewgate are chiefly indebted for the embankment of the Caldew below the Old Brewery by which the recurrence of those disastrous floods, by which that part of the town was wont to be visited, was effectually prevented.”
Blissfully unaware of this previous innovation, the Environment Agency informed the inhabitants of the flats built on the site of the Old Brewery that from October 2007 they would be “undertaking design work to reduce the flood risk along the River Caldew.”
Boreholes would be drilled said the agency “to obtain information on ground conditions that will be used in the design of the flood defence wall.”
This new flood wall will be exactly where something similar stood in the 19th century but, for some reason, was later destroyed.
How, at this early period, did citizens know where to put flood defences without the aid of modern technology?
At a meeting in 1826 on how to offer relief to those suffering at a time of manufacturing distress, it was suggested, “by employing the poor of Caldewgate in forming a bank from Caldew Bride along the Caldew on the way to Cummersdale, part of the distress might be alleviated.”
On the same day as this Journal feature, a Carlisle Patriot reporter also gave an account of the meeting where it was suggested “a bank might now be made which would keep the water out of Caldewgate, a most desirable improvement if it could be effected, as it would greatly contribute to the health and comfort of the inhabitants of that part of the town.”
Early in the original scheme those planning it were aware that it was not always water going down the Caldew which was the problem and it was necessary to prevent “the River Eden during floods flowing up the River Caldew and inundating Caldewgate”, stated the Journal.
After floods in December 1833 and the threat of more in February 1834, frightened inhabitants had had enough.
The newspaper again pointed out “the advantage which would arise from banking out the Caldew providing leave can be procured from the Corporation, the Old Brewery Co and the Canal Company, to carry a bank of no great height from the west side of Caldew Bridge down the river to below the mill at the bottom of Bridge Land and then running some little distance on the north side of the cut”.
This, said the Journal, was “so obvious it is surprising it has not been carried into execution long since”.
In May 1834 progress was made. The Journal announced: “Leave for erecting such a bank has now we understand been obtained but funds are still wanting to complete the work.”
To this end, said the newspaper, “one or two benevolent gentlemen have undertaken to collect subscriptions and we trust they will find little difficulty in raising a sufficient sum to prevent suffering endured by many poor families arising from the conjecture of wet houses and cold or damp weather”.
Crucial to the scheme was a sluice at the Willow Holme end of the Denton Holme millrace which would prevent backing-up in a flood.
Work was already in progress on the embankment along the Caldew, when in September 1834, the Journal reported on the laying of the foundation stone for the sluice.
This, the newspaper said, was laid by John Lonsdale, “the original agitator of the improvement”, who addressed the crowd with a speech.
Most subsequent floods, like that in July 1846, could not have been prevented by the embankment.
On this occasion the Journal described the flash flood. “The scene was one of the most painfully ridiculous that can be conceived with the flashing of lightning and pouring of rain.”
The ‘Willow Holme and Brewery Banks,’ as they were referred to in a Public Health meeting in October 1858, held out until the ‘very destructive floods’ of 1856.
At this meeting the committee considered the cost of raising the height of the banks “all the way to the bone mill to prevent floods”.
It was necessary for the police to awaken the inhabitants of Caldewgate in September 1861 to tell of the danger of a flash flood.
Then, in November, Willow Holme was flooded because the sluice was destroyed.
The Patriot reported that the Health Committee “did not act properly on the night of the flood”.
Their surveyor, Mr Gordon, had the sluice rebuilt but his opinion was that it was insufficient.
A careful watch was kept on the sluice in times of flood and in January 1869 the Carlisle Examiner reported that the men thus employed were “to have new waterproof coats”.
Over the years lessons were learned and when in March 1881 “there was some alarm of a flood in Caldewgate in consequence of the bank of the Caldew having been cut into in the course of building the new GSWR goods shed [the Denton Holme Goods Yard]”. The Journal reported that “measures were promptly taken to avert the danger”.
