255 



THE RECENT CLOUD-BURST ON THE 

 YORKSHIRE WOLDS. 



Rev. E. MAULE COLE, F.G.S. 



(plate xl). 



It is not to be supposed that the Wolds of the East Riding are 

 more liable to terrific thunderstorms and torrential rains than 

 other parts of the country, but the effects are more visible, 

 and often more disastrous. This arises from the peculiar 

 conformation of the ground — there is hardly a level field any- 

 where, all is on the slope. The land is intersected with deep 

 dales, like the branches of a tree, all making for its own trunk. 

 There is a hard sub-soil of chalk, and very little covering of 

 earth, hence when a cloud-burst occurs, the rain cannot sink 

 but rushes down the sloping fields, gathering in its course 

 hundreds of streams which converge in the lower portion, till it 

 reaches a steep dale side ; then, with leaps and bounds, the 

 torrent dashes down the bare side of the dale, carrying all before 

 it, and excavating deep chasms in its path, strewing the dale 

 bottom with chalk debris and soil removed from the fields above. 

 This has been specially noticeable in the two storms of May 20th 

 and May 21st, 1910. 



On May 20th, at about 4 a.m., a rush of water came down 

 from Haverdale to Lutton on its way to Helperthorpe. This 

 in itself was not important, but it was soon joined by a tremen- 

 dous flood descending from Croom High House, about a mile 

 east of Sledmere. This filled the dale bottom leading from 

 Croom to Helperthorpe, gathering on its way many streams 

 from the hill sides, and finally uniting with the stream from 

 Haverdale, poured itself into the Gypsey Race, and completely 

 flooded the cottages in Weaverthorpe to the depth of four feet, 

 filling them with mud, and destroying the gardens. About 

 half a mile to the east of Weaverthorpe another torrent came 

 down Galloping Slack from the high barn on Weaverthorpe 

 pasture, and augmented the disaster. Here it was that the 

 hedges were levelled, and a straw stack, weighing four tons, 

 carried intact for a full mile. All this occurred on the north 

 side of the High Street, which runs from Sledmere to Bridling- 

 ton. Curiously enough the High Street itself was hardly 

 touched, and not damaged at all. But on the south side it 

 was different. Here at Cowlam the rain cloud burst in its 



1910 July I. 



