The Shuttleworth Collection

The Shuttleworth Collection | The Destructive Storm and Flood

About The Collection

'The Destructive Storm and Flood at Ilkley, Yorkshire, Thursday, July 12th, 1900'

About the Collection

The flood of 12th July 1900 was a great disaster in Ilkley of which we have a unique photographic record. Photographs taken shortly after the event by John Shuttleworth’s son Ernest show the scale of the destruction left behind after the waters had subsided. The 22 views in the collection were published in a pamphlet entitled: Shuttleworth's 'Souvenir Album', advertised in the Ilkley Gazette of 4th August, 1900 at the price of 1/-.

For the previous two days the weather had been exceptionally hot. On the third morning the day promised to be even more sultry but the sky darkened from the direction of Silsden and thunder rumbled around the moors.

At 2.00pm the storm began. The storm struck on the Moors between Heber's Ghyll and Backstone Beck. It was believed that a cloud burst had taken place immediately above the Keighley Road. The Ilkley Gazette described: “the lighting was intensely vivid: long zig zag flashes standing out with remarkable brilliance against the darkened sky. While the crashes of thunder were enough to suggest the very heavens were falling.”

The principal streams draining the moors were blocked with branches and rocks. The streams at Mill Ghyll and Parish Ghyll burst their banks and rushed as flooded torrents destroyed whatever lay in their path –trees, culverts, masonry and roads. The watercourse at Heber's Ghyll was gouged out to a considerable depth introducing a new wildness and grandeur. The Bradford Observer commented: “from top to bottom the flood has torn and scarred the ravine, washing out great holes in some places piling up boulders in chaotic masses elsewhere, wrenching trees out of the earth and indeed changing the whole lineament of the ghyll.”

In less than half an hour all of the streets leading to the Moor were under water. The culvert burst on Brook Street. A torrent rushed down to the Star, Wharfedale and Wheatsheaf Inns at the bottom. Much damage was done lower down Brook Street to buildings behind the Wharfedale Inn and others in the old gas house yard. Huge deposits of rocks, boulders, sand and mud, brought down from the Moors were left in the streets and deposited in some of the houses. From one house at the bottom of Church Street, 30 tons of debris were later removed.

A rise of at least six or seven feet in the water level of the River Wharfe was reported. Prior to the storm the water level was very low so the increase of water failed to overflow its banks.

Tragically one man died: Alfred Brogden, at his father's coach building business between Kings Road and Chapel Lane. A wall and a shed collapsed at the rear of the yard; the building collapsed in a tangle of machinery and carriages causing his death.
At the inquest, Edward Brogden, the eldest son of Robert Brogden, said that when he last saw his brother alive his brother was kneeling down looking through the hoist calling to the smiths below to get out of the way. Alfred Brogden was buried in Ilkley cemetery.
In the days following the disaster many sightseers came into Ilkey. The Ilkley Gazette reported: “it has been no uncommon experience on the part of those busy clearing water and mud out of the houses to find themselves instead of objects of commiseration a very unpleasant butt for the ignoramuses no law has yet given power to keep under lock and key”. Others, however, gave generously to an appeal. The Ilkley Gazette reported that the 'trippers' gave £170 to the relief fund following a meeting held in the lecture hall to decide what could be done to provide immediate aid to those who had suffered.

In total it was estimated that over £100,000 worth of damage was done to property in Ilkley and many people suffered personal and financial hardship. As well as damage to property and premises householders lost furniture and posessions. The Brogden family were particularly badly affected. Robert Brogden not only lost his son but also the whole of his machinery, tools and stock. Edward Brogden recovered some of his account books by the river side along with other items belonging to individuals.

The Ilkley flood relief fund and The Brogden relief fund was established with the list of subscribers and subscriptions published in the Ilkley Gazette. There was an immediate and generous response to those appeals for financial assistance.

Following the flood there was a call for the cottages in Chapel Lane to be removed. The view was expressed at the inquest into the death of Alfred Brogden that the cottages, which were an insanitary condition, should be either pulled down or the coach premises should be rebuilt, another six feet away from the brook.

Nine days later, on 21st July there was another severe thunderstorm in the area. This storm centred on the Nesfield and Middleton districts. Further heavy rain on 3rd August resulted in the stream through Parish Ghyll again overflowing its banks and problems were created by the debris and boulders left by the previous flood still blocking drains and water courses. Water was reported to have rushed once more through the houses in Chapel Lane and the portions of Mr Brogden's workshop still standing had to be more securely propped up. Houses in Bridge Lane and Church Street were affected once again with flooding to a depth of several feet and basements in Bolton Bridge Road, Brook Street and Skipton Road were similarly affected.

In the previous year there had also been extensive flooding in the Wharfe Valley. In January 1899, at the suspension bridge in Ilkley a tree became entangled in the ironwork and a local man drowned in an attempt to remove it. In Addingham the water was 8 feet above the normal level and work had to be suspended at Listers Mill.

the front page of '22 Views of the Destructive Storm And Flood'