This page will undoubtedly be 'a work in progress' forever more and has already under gone several re-writes just to get it to this 'original' first stage as new information just kept coming to light. Hopefully more information will be discovered or provided by any person who should read this and be able to re-count a particular year, day, event of note and better still, have the data as well. Information undoubtedly exists, it is just a case of finding it and that will bring a particular joy when some long lost records are discovered. So please be patient, keep checking in and with time this page will grow.
Firstly a brief explanation of 'Local' - this will obviously be: Maulds Meaburn, Crosby Ravensworth, Reagill, Morland and also includes: Appleby, Cliburn, Great Strickland, Orton and Ravenstonedale. I have now (12.3.15.) changed my mind and decided to include Shap, which is mainly due to the observations of W.A. Hoggarth which are a rich source of information for the period 1874-90.
I am indebted to 'Symons's British Rainfall Guides' which is a truly unique source of information and that ran from 1860 - 1991 (albeit Symons's name was dropped after his death and they became just the British Rainfall guides). I am also grateful to the county archives and libraries in Carlisle and Kendal, Ted Relph who is simply a local encyclopaedia of unparalleled proportions and the author of 'The Chronicles of Crosby Ravensworth' (+) and whom edited and informed me of 'The Williamson Diaries' (+). To Eileen and David Risk for their work in transcribing the school logbook from Reagill and providing me with all the weather related entries contained therein. Also to John Falshaw at Orton for providing me with his rainfall records (1967-2012 and which are now continued by the Environment Agency).
And a new 'Finally' to the Environment Agency (especially Susan Sandelands) for providing all monthly rainfall data for 1891-1991 for Appleby (Castle Bank) and also to Joan Self and Mark Beswick from the library archive at the Met' Office for their research and finding of various records.
Unsurprisingly the majority of the 'hard data' that exists relates to rainfall records and the earliest such records found to date go back to 1865 and we are fortunate enough to have several sites in different villages for long enough periods to gain some useful comparisons - but the real find would be a long record (at least 10 years) of min'/max' temperatures recorded in the 'standard' way. (6.5.16.) I now know that such a temperature record was kept, by Dr. Armstrong at Appleby, it did exist and what I have discovered will be on the Appleby page quite soon - I just don't know if the records have survived and if so, where they are now.
I know that I am missing some important years such as 1947 and especially 1963 when the winters were notable - whilst the hard data would be superb to possess I will make the effort (soon) to obtain some first hand accounts of those winters.
Upto April 2013 this was just the one page, but as the extra data became known to myself the page grew unwieldy and hence why each village now has its own dedicated page. Following the floods of December 2015 (Storm Desmond) I decided to include a page dedicated to the 'Floods of Appleby' and which in turn became the 'Floods, Hurricanes and Thunderstorms of Appleby' as more information kept coming to light and which has been fascinating to research (the page itself gives a list of thanks to various people).
Just click on the links to take you to the Village of your choice.
Below is the full list of amendments made to all of the pages
ADDITIONS MADE:
11.03.20. - 21st Century Floods - Details of the floods associated with Storm Ciara on 8th February 2020.
25.11.17. - 21st Century Floods - Details of the flood on 22/23rd November that affected The Sands.
06.07.17. - FLOODS - The creation of separate pages for each century - to read about the floods in the 18th (see the floods main page), 19th, 20th and 21st century's follow the links below.
21.06.17. - CROSBY RAVENSWORTH - (Maulds Meaburn) - newspaper article from January 1839 concerning an 'hurricane' in the village.
12.05.17. - FLOODS - have added additional photos of the floods for each year (2005 onwards) and links to news footage and youtube clips.
03.05.17. - MORLAND - 1917 - a snowy April.
11.03.17. - CROSBY RAVENSWORTH - Added the entry from the 'Appleby: Michaelmas, Petition Roll' from 1733 concerning the road to Maulds Meaburn following the floods of that or an earlier year.
11.03.17. - APPLEBY - Now added the bill of expenses from Robert Fallowfield for repairing (some of) the damage done by the flood of 1771.
20.02.17. - CROSBY RAVENSWORTH - now includes the monthly rainfall totals from August 2014 when I set a rain gauge up at the school
16.02.17. - APPLEBY - A new section on 'Early Newspaper Reports' along with more newspaper reports for: 1862, 1863, 1865, 1866, 1867, 1869, 1890 and 1899.
29.01.17. - FLOODS - I have now finalised a 'Summary and Analysis' regarding the floods of Appleby (see link above - also available in pdf format: Summary and Analysis) - this was covered by the Cumberland and Westmorland Herald 31.12.16.
27.01.17. - SHAP - Newspaper accounts of a storm and deaths in 1775 and of deaths by lightning in 1846 - see 'Other weather'.
25.01.17. - ORTON - Newspaper articles concerning flooding in 1856 and 1861.
29.06.16. - FLOODS - further details and account about the flood of 1771
12.06.16. - FLOODS - photograph of floods in 1960 and details of the 2007 flood with a few further comments about the floods of 2004 and 2005.
12.05.16. - FLOODS - further information regarding frequency of flooding and the years in which flooding occurred (see + in the list below showing the years in which flooding occurred).
08.05.16. - CROSBY RAVENSWORTH - Details of floods in 1733 and 1947 in Maulds Meaburn.
06.05.16. - FLOODS - accounts of 'hurricanes' in: 1839, 1860, 1862 + and of thunderstorms in: 1843, 1855, 1856 (stupefied to death), 1858 and 1871
05.05.16. - FLOODS - accounts for 1899 + 1936 and then of flooding and a death by lightning in 1912 + the 1970's 'Flood Siren'.
18.04.16. - FLOODS - accounts for 1820 + 1831 + 1841 (Ts) + 1845 + 1849 (Ts) + 1855 + 1861 + 1868 + 1869 + 1890 + 1898 + 1929 + 1947 + 1964.
09.04.16. - FLOODS - accounts for 1775 + 1790 + 1792 + 1794 + 1817 + 1930 + 1924 Christmas floods inc' the tragic death of Harry Whitehead + more detail about 1925 inc' a 'Daring Rescue'.
16.03.16. - FLOODS - Partial re-write but now including several additional years when floods occurred and additional photographs of 1964, but in particular 1968 - many thanks to Maggie Clowes.
21.02.16. - APPLEBY - Creation of a new and separate page on 'The Floods of Appleby' - having sourced a lot of information the section had become to arge and warranted its own page.
17.02.16. - APPLEBY - More on 'Floods in Appleby' - mainly the floods of August 1928, March 1968 and others - also the death of C.R. Rivington.
14.02.16. - APPLEBY - All rainfall data for 2015 - re-calculation of 'Wet', 'Dry' years - and a start on 'Floods in Appleby'.
27.01.16. - ORTON - Now includes the 2015 rainfall data along with the daily totals for the 'Desmond' event of 4-6th December.
10.06.15. - ORTON - Discovered an entry for Orton in the Met' Office's 'Monthly Weather Report' for January 1925.
12.03.15. - SHAP - New addition and commencement of this chapter.
07.03.15. - APPLEBY + MORLAND - a few accounts of the affects of the winter of 1963.
06.03.15. - APPLEBY - New section regarding droughts - the wettest days of 1901 + 1928 - notes on the year as a whole - 1899 - death of Dr. Armstrong - thunderstorms in 1884 + 1886
29.01.15. - ORTON - Now updated with the rainfall records for 2013-14.
12.11.14. - APPLEBY - All monthly rainfall totals back to 1856 when rainfall recording first commenced in Appleby, giving a complete record to the present day - necessitated a partial re-write of the 'Rainfall' section.
11.05.14. - APPLEBY - Added details of extremes from the Met' Office 'Monthly Weather Report' between 1931-46.
20.03.14. - APPLEBY - Added monthly rainfall totals from 2000 for the Mill Hill site and a few details about the observer and some of her predecessor's - also highest daily rainfall totals during 1961-68.
12.02.14. - MORLAND - Now includes all monthly rainfall data for 1902-44 with comparisons to that of Appleby and Newton Rigg.
28.01.14. - APPLEBY - Re-write of the introduction and the section on temperature - following a further enquiry to the Met' Office with more information which helped them 'find' the temperature records from Castle Bank.
17.01.14. - APPLEBY - Added the few details from the 'Land Utilisation report' for Westmorland concerning Appleby - see temperature.
15.01.14. - REAGILL - added the synoptic chart for 8th December 1886 to show just how low the air pressure fell that day. Supports or refutes the low pressure recorded by Wilkinson?
08.10.13. - CROSBY RAVENSWORTH - Details of the heaviest daily fall in 1874 which at 2.90" (73.7 mm) is to date the wettest day that I have yet discovered in the village.
26.09.13. - REAGILL - 'An Inch of Scotch Mist' - an actual comparison from 1873 between Reagill and others to Seathwaite on days when 1 inch of rain was recorded at Seathwaite.
19.09.13. - APPLEBY - Details of the maximum falls of rain in 24 hours from various years.
25.07.13. - APPLEBY - Clarification that the Castle Bank EA rainfall site is now closed (as of June 2012).
17.07.13. - APPLEBY - Whilst researching summer rainfall I realised that the EA's figures for 1975-76 at Castle Bank were the same and hence one year was wrong. By using the 'Cumbrian Weather Report' I have been able to correct the figures - all of 1975 and March/April 1976.
09.06.13. - APPLEBY - Now includes a section on temperature including mean monthly temperatures and average number of air frosts per year - mean annual rainfall for and correction on commencement of observations regarding Mr. Whitehead.
10.05.13. - APPLEBY - Now includes all the monthly and yearly rainfall for Castle Bank for 1891-1999 and also yearly rainfall for 1863-1894 by Dr. Armstrong. - also some notes regarding Mr. J.F. Whitehead.
08.03.13. - ORTON, rainfall records for the period 1967-2012 - all monthly and annual records, averages, droughts and days of excessive rain.
14.01.13. - Details added re an excessively wet day at Ravenstonedale on 26th January 1903.
22.11.12. - Details added re commencement of rainfall records at Appleby.
08.11.12. - Thunderstorm at Cliburn in November 1962.
26.10.12. - Brief addition to the Morland chapter re rainfall data for 1877-78 at Morland Hall.
22.10.12. - Entry and photograph regarding 'Principal Heavy Rains' for 1872-73 for Crosby Ravensworth - new entry for 1873 for Great Strickland and clarification for the Ravenstonedale observer from 1916
14.10.12. - New Chapters for Orton and Ravenstonedale with several photo's now added to the page
02.08.12. - Further additions to Reagill chapter for 1883 and 1887
17.07.12. - Complete re-write of the Reagill chapter - this follows my receipt of the school logbook which has many references to the weather, some of which are quantitative.
20.06.12. - Re Crosby Ravensworth - details of the rain gauge of Reverend Weston and of the year 1875 Re Reagill - April 1875 and in particular the winter of 1878-9.
26.04.12. - Re Morland 1913
(+) both books still available.
© Darren Rogers 2016-21
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