Worcestershire Record No. 23 November 2007 p. 20

We can hardly issue a 2007 Worcestershire Record without mentioning the catastrophic floods which swept the county during July. After torrential rain on 20th July all the major rivers overflowed to cause extensive flooding. There were large numbers of flash floods when streams, brooks, ditches or simply run-off from fields cut roads and isolated villages. There were several large landslips on the unstable north slopes of Bredon Hill. The small brook draining off Bredon Hill through Elmley Castle and Netherton swept away part of the main road at Cropthorne (the old A44) leaving a great canyon and the road did not open again until December. The Dick Brook caused severe floods along its length. Dowles Brook in Wyre produced two very high flash floods, one in June and the other in July only matched by a similar one in the 1920’s (an account of the Wyre floods will appear in The Wyre Forest Study Group Review 2007). Bow Brook flowing south through the centre of Worcestershire reached unprecedented flood levels and cut many roads. The River Avon flood was probably the highest ever recorded.

These pictures are taken from SO939417 looking north towards Birlingham village. The top picture taken on 21st July 2007 show the River Avon at the peak of the flood. Nafford Lock is at the right hand side and the span of the picture is about 1km. The River Avon flows right to left and parts can be seen in the lower picture. Beyond is the Gwen Finch Reserve and the reserve pool can be seen in the lower picture taken 10th August 2007. The flood brought sudden closure to the breeding season of many reed warblers, sedge warblers and other species.