Flooding in Tiverton, Lowman Green, Bickleigh and Westexe, 1960

Dozens of photos and a newly uncovered film have shown how flooding hit Tiverton throughout the 1960s.
Mid Devon District Council’s historical records of flooding, includes maps and newspaper cuttings, and the Environment Agency have provided an extensive archive images of the devastating 100 year reccurance interval 1960 flood, when Tiverton received more than 59 inches of rainfall.
The historical records show that on October 1, 1960 states: ““After torrential rain on the night of September 30, the River Lowman rose rapidly and flooded Blundell’s Road, Tiverton. By midday on October 1, Lowman Green was four feet under water. Traffic between the town and Halberton was at a standstill for a time, and hundreds of people were stranded.”
On October 6, police were out on the streets warning households to barricade their homes.”
On October 27, 1960 flooding continued as documented in the Western Morning News: “Tiverton was flooded again, and several schools had to close.
“The Lowman had once again caused the trouble at Tiverton. It broke its banks in Blundell’s Road soon after 3 am, cutting the town in half.
“At its highest ever, with water lapping the main arches of Lowman Bridge.
“For the fourth time in a month householders and shopkeepers in Lowman Green and Blundell’s Road Tiverton, had their homes and premises flooded to a depth of over 3 ft.
“Floodwater also swept through the yard of Tiverton Sawmills and lapped the platforms at Tiverton railway station.”
Again on October 29, the Western Morning News states: “For the fourth time in a month householders and shopkeepers in Lowman Green, Tiverton, had their premises saturated with three feet of flood water.”
And finally, the Morning News continues to report flooding on December 4, 1960 saying: “Heavy rain and high winds throughout Saturday [3 December] and the early hours of Sunday morning [4 December] brought severe flooding to Tiverton, and to the towns and villages of the Taw valley.
“The floods at Tiverton were the worst ever recorded, and about 500 houses were affected, some to a depth of 8 ft.
“The most difficult road was that between Exeter and Tiverton, which was impassable at Bickleigh, and in Tiverton itself.”
“In Tiverton, at 9 am the Exe, rising 12 ft in an hour and travelling at over 40 miles an hour, broke its banks. In a fury it swept through Leat Street, West Exe North, and West Exe South, and swirled into many more before it met a torrent that rushed through the Walronds Housing Estate.
“At the beginning, the Tiverton factory acted like a gigantic dam shielding much of Leat Street, but as the build-up of water continued, the turbulent, muddy tide broke over a 5 ft high boundary wall.” “At Ladysmead 20 sheep grazing on the football field were cut off in the grandstand.”
“Flooding affected Chappell’s buildings in West Exe South, and residents of the Walronds Almshouses in Well Brook Street were marooned.”