It rained and it rained. Summer rain, falling thick and vertical with no wind to blow it away. That may have been a description of the weather in recent weeks, but it would not do justice to the meteorological system which hit Exmoor 65 years ago causing the biggest, most tragic, flooding event the region has seen in more than 300 years.
On August 15, 1952, eyewitnesses described the clouds that accumulated over Exmoor as "purple black" - some even said the threatening skies had a weird greenish tinge.
Within hours, one of the most violent precipitations this country has ever seen was underway. The bogs on top of Exmoor were quickly filled to overflowing and Lynmouth would soon be a disaster zone.
More than 90 million tons of water cascaded down the steep narrow valleys of the twin rivers Lyn towards the small harbour village causing death and devastation beyond anything ever seen in the region during peacetime.
34 people - babies, children, teenagers, back-packers, husbands and wives - lost their lives that black night.
John Pedder witnessed
the disaster unfold,
scrambling up onto
rooftops and watching
as cars, buildings and
trees swept by just
feet away.
"The strangest thing up on that roof was watching as cars rushed by in the flood. The batteries had shorted or something because all their headlights were blazing, which made the whole scene unreal as the cars rolled over and over in the water."
Wendy Marker was working at a local hotel on that fateful Friday night, when her parents decided to evacuate their home.
"Was I frightened? No, not really," said Wendy. "I'd lived by the river all my life and was used to hearing it roar. I remember the great crash that happened at around one in the morning. That was that for the cottages - and for the three old people. All gone. Not a thing left.
“I remember the great crash that happened at around one in the morning. That was that for the cottages - and for the three old people. All gone. Not a thing left.
“It's strange really, most people have got something handed down from their mum, or their grandmother. I haven't got a thing. Not a single hand-me-down. It all went in the flood.”
The world responded to the Lynmouth Flood Disaster with heartfelt charity - but it was an extraordinary community spirit that was responsible for rebuilding and creating the Lynmouth we see today.
A joint funeral service for 13 of those killed in the disaster took place in August 1952
These are the names of those who lost their lives:
Ada Barwick, 60, Lynmouth
Elsie Bowen, 32, Lynton
Ronald Bowen, 37, Lynton
Kenneth Bowen, 9, Lynton
Derrick Breddy, 11, Manchester
Elsie Cherry, 56, London
Benjamin Coult, 56, Durham
Emma Coult, 52, Durham
Rodney Dimmock, 8, Lynton
Mary Floyde, 64, Lynton
Frederick Floyde, 27, Lynton
Joyce Hiscock, 21, Australia
Hannah Jarvis, 77, Lynmouth
William Leaworthy, 60, Parracombe
Gabriel Litson, 78, Lynmouth
Charles Litson, 53, Lynmouth
Gwenda Oxley, 22, Australia
William Richards, 30, Lynmouth
Gwendoline Richards, 32, Lynmouth
Bernard Richards, 3, Lynmouth
Ernest Richards, 3, months Lynmouth
Emily Ridd, 54, Lynton
Geoffrey Robinson, 11, Manchester
Harold Shaw, 14, Manchester
Edwin Smith, 50, Lynmouth
Alys Thorne, 46, Woking
Roger Thorne, 14, Woking
Maud Watts, 72, Lynmouth
William Watts, 80, Lynmouth
One female body was unidentified. The following four people remained missing - believed drowned:
Stella Bates, 40, Lynmouth
David Bowen, 11, Lynton
Elizabeth Cannon, 75, Lynmouth
Jessie Whitbread, 48, Lynmouth
