Walking Forum
Regions - Trip reports, destination advice, recommended routes, etc. => Yorkshire Dales & Moors => Topic started by: henryb on 19:51:32, 16/02/20
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Hi All, I was originally planning my first Yorkshire Dales trip at the end of the month but am slightly concerned about flooding. I had planned to stay in Skipton and visit Malham and Settle. Can anyone local tell me if these areas have been affected by the floods? I can be flexible so would I be better visiting during a drier spell? Thanks, Henry
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My hunch is that they'll have drained, but saturation will be the issue with lots of wet ground under foot. Where are you planning to stay? They might have the best advice.
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Settle itself is rarely affected by floodwater, although surrounding villages/roads may be under water for a short time after vey heavy prolonged rainfall. There are a number of decent tracks so it needn't be a continuous bogfest if you pick the right route/walk. The waterfalls around Settle are well worth a visit when in full flow, so bear that in mind.
Don't hear anything about Malham being a flood risk, although the PW path, heading south, can be under water a short distance outside of Malham and the path itself can be boggy. Main path to the Cove will be passable and the only danger is wet and slippy limestone. Similarly with Gordale Scar/Janets Fosse - and if the path is difficult then there is the alternative of taking a road walk to the Scar or Fosse.
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You might possibly want to rethink your plans https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-51597105 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-51597105)
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Thanks kinkyboots, think I'll postpone the trip until later in the year O0
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You might possibly want to rethink your plans https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-51597105 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-51597105)
Blimey - that's news to me as I am currentlly in Cantabria enjoying a few days of sunshine and, so far, no rain.
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What makes the difference between being flooded or not? I live in Portsmouth, a flat city and we are an island as well and we are at sea level, especially where I live. We have had lots of heavy rain, storms and high tides recently, I am about 500 yds from the beach, but for us no flooding whatsoever. We don't have a river nearby so is that what makes the real difference? Maybe what I consider to be heavy rain here is nothing compared to what others in the country have faced?
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What makes the difference between being flooded or not? I live in Portsmouth, a flat city and we are an island as well and we are at sea level, especially where I live. We have had lots of heavy rain, storms and high tides recently, I am about 500 yds from the beach, but for us no flooding whatsoever. We don't have a river nearby so is that what makes the real difference? Maybe what I consider to be heavy rain here is nothing compared to what others in the country have faced?
As you say, you are on an island and have no river to there is no river to flood and the moat behind Portsmouth intercepts any run off from the hills behind you so your only hazards are tidal surge and heavy rain. Porstmouth and Southsea are mostly built up areas and your drains can obviously cope with heavy downpours - the water does not have far to run so there is little back up in the sewers - the equation that designed sewers made them 7 times larger than needed to be anyway, so that brings you down to the sea as your major hazard.
The Isle of Wight gives you twice as any tides as a port is entitled to, so any surge is spread over two tidal peaks rather than one. The IoW also acts as a bit of a breakwater so it has to cut up really rough to start slopping over anyway. I have seen it going green over the road at Stokes Bay, that is why there is a big patch of grass behind the road to catch it. Southsea Common fulfils the same function for you and is much bigger. The biggest surge vulnerability is the harbour mouth but that has huge defences your side and it acts a choke point slowing the flow of water into the harbour to stop it overfilling. The river from Fareham is nobbut a trickle into the big pond that is the harbour so you can ignore that.
Hope that explains it.
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Thanks, Nineace, I'll print that off and tell the 'worried ones' down my local! That I'm sure will ease their anxiety.