Flood 1900 1966 Bitter Beck 1970 Improvements – Cockermouth History

Flood Bitter Beck 1900 & 1966 with 1970 improvements

1900 Oct 6^th Bitter Beck St Helens Street flood

Photo dated 6 October 1900 shows the result of a flood of Bitter Beck with families, children, furniture and bedding on the cobbled lane. Another photo shows a footbridge over Bitter Beck with a partly demolished roof of a building that spans Bitter Beck, and repair workmen. Another photo of St Helens flood at Bitter Beck shows workmen clearing the beck under a bridge. Unknow cause of leaning brick tower to left of church tower.

1900 Bitter Beck flood St Helens Street buildings damaged workmen repair. Upstream is another bridge and many buildings that are built on the side of the beck thus restricting the flood from spreading out onto banks of the stream, thus the increased jet flow may have caused the damage to the building that spans the beck. Why did it span the beck, was it a mill of some sort? Today all buildings adjacent to the beck have been removed, see photos of removal redesign and reinstatement of Bitter Beck in 1970 after the 1966 flood caused similar damage to bridges – see 1966 photos.

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Bitter Beck Flood 1900

1900 Bitter Beck flood families survey devastation 6 October 1900.

1900 Bitter Beck Flood homes and buildings destroyed 6 October 1900

1900 Bitter Beck flood St Helens Street buildings damaged workmen repair 6 October 1900 p2 — 1900 Bitter Beck flood St Helens Street buildings damaged workmen repair. Upstream is another bridge and many buildings that are built on the side of the beck thus restricting the flood from spreading out onto banks of the stream, thus the increased jet flow may have caused the damage to the building that spans the beck. Why did it span the beck, was it a mill of some sort? Today all buildings adjacent to the beck have been removed, see photos of removal redesign and reinstatement of Bitter Beck in 1970 after the 1966 flood caused similar damage to bridges – see 1966 photos.

1900 Bitter Beck flood children and families and damaged furniture 6 October 1900 p2 — 1900 Bitter Beck flood children and families and damaged furniture 6 October 1900

1900 Bitter Beck flood St Helens Street workmen in beck under arch 6 October 1900 p2 — 1900 flood of Bitter Beck. Workmen clearing the beck under a bridge. Unknow cause of leaning brick tower to left of All Saints Church tower. You can see this same face of the Church tower from Kirkgate car park but most other buildings in this photo will have been demolished.

1966 Bitter Beck St Helens street bridge now gone All Saints behind 1966

Bitter Beck Flood 1966

1966 Bitter Beck after damage to bridge side wall washed away flood c 1966

1966 Bitter Beck before damage to bridge in flood and houses all demolished c 1966 p3 — 1966 Bitter Beck before damage to bridge in flood and houses all demolished c 1966

1966 Bitter Beck before floods caused rear of St Helens street demolished Kirkgate centre to right c 1960 p3 — 1966 Bitter Beck before floods caused rear of St Helens street demolished Kirkgate centre to right c 1960

1966 Bitter Beck upstream to east most derelict buildings demolished now grassed area 1966 p3 — 1966 Bitter Beck upstream to east most derelict buildings demolished now grassed area 1966

1966 Bitter Beck St Helens street houses later demolished now grassed area 1966

1966 Bitter Beck St Helens street bridge now gone All Saints behind 1966

1966 Bitter Beck St Helens Street 1966

1966 Bitter Beck before floods and houses removed for grassed area rear of St Helens Street c 1966 p3 — 1966 Bitter Beck before floods and houses removed for grassed area rear of St Helens Street c 1966

1966 Bitter Beck footbridge now removed 1966

BITTER BECK — 1966 Bitter Beck the wall demolished in 1966 flood George Winder crossing it 1966

BITTER BECK — 1966 Bitter Beck before floods caused rear of St Helens street to be demolished c 1960 p3

Bitter Beck - cleared rebuilt 1970

1970 Bitter Beck congested housing removed now chanelled and tamed as a grassed walkway to Windmill Lane estate 1970 p3 — 1970 Bitter Beck congested housing removed now chanelled and tamed as a grassed walkway to Windmill Lane estate 1970

1970 Bitter Beck after the 1966 flood it was improved (4) 1970

1970 Bitter Beck congested housing removed now grassed area rear walls of St Helens street to the left 1970 p3 — 1970 Bitter Beck congested housing removed now grassed area rear walls of St Helens street to the left 1970

1970 Bitter Beck congested housing removed now grassed walkway to Windmill Lane estate 1970 p3 — 1970 Bitter Beck congested housing removed now grassed walkway to Windmill Lane estate 1970

1970 Bitter Beck congested housing removed now grassed area rear walls of St Helens street to the right (2) 1970 p3 — 1970 Bitter Beck congested housing removed now grassed area rear walls of St Helens street to the right (2) 1970

1970 Bitter Beck congested housing removed now grassed area rear walls of St Helens street to the right 1970 p3 — 1970 Bitter Beck congested housing removed now grassed area rear walls of St Helens street to the right 1970

1970 Bitter Beck congested housing removed now grassed area withh wildflowers 1970 p3 — 1970 Bitter Beck congested housing removed now grassed area withh wildflowers 1970

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Cockermouth History

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