Flooding and the Sea Defences.
Kingston Seymour is predominantly under sea level and indeed, the 1821 village map records the Parish name as Kingston Seamoor
The Great Severn Estuary Flood of 1607
The flood of 1607 (30th January) is generally acknowledged to have been the greatest natural disaster to affect communities along the Bristol Channel and Severn Estuary. The enduring images from the pamphlets of the day ensure that it is remembered more than 400 years later and its cause is still being debated.
Members of the Historical Society were enthralled by a talk at their March 2017 meeting given by Rose Hewlett – who is currently undertaking a research degree at the University of Bristol studying the response and recovery aspects of the event.
The storm surge affected both sides of the estuary from as far south as Barnstaple & Bideford, across to the South coast of Wales and as far inland as Gloucester. From what records exist, many lost their lives and it seems that most of Kingston Seymour was under at least five feet of water. The plaque inside the church doorway shows the water level reached.
A BBC documentary about the incident (in the Timewatch series) has been available on BBC iPlayer but doesn’t currently appear to be viewable. Many papers are available on the internet and there is an article here from the BBC website (posted in 2007) which covers the event Link to BBC News Website (opens in a new window)
THE REMAINDER OF THIS PAGE IS WORK IN PROGRESS and will feature
Building defences in the 1950s
Flood of 1981
Improved Defences in 2016