Whitby mud slides

Photos taken by my son-in-law from his office at the top of their house.

Well there I was saying that Whitby would escape the flooding, but they have been hit by mud slides due to the heavy rains.  Yesterday it was reported that 5 houses had had their small gardens washed away and that the terraced row would have to be demolished.  The houses are very near to the abbey, overlooked at the back by fields and seemingly approached from there, and today according to the local news they are building a steel road across the fields to access the damage.  But it is not only these houses that are affected but the cliffs behind the cottages in Henrietta Street have also had mud slides, with part of the cemetery washed over, or at least a few bones from the 18th century.  The news can be found here and as can be seen from the photos St.Mary's church is very close to the cliff edge.  It must be terrible for the people who own houses along Henrietta Street, though many will be holiday homes, but every time we have walked along the street to the East Cliff quay we have both said no way would we buy a house with a cliff at the back.  My love has written on the fact that Fortune Kippers little smokehouse may be lost.

All those beautiful tiers of terraced houses must now have the threat of water building up in the land behind, who would have thought such a thing could happen.......

BBC news Whitby landslip

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/publications/rczas-whitby-to-reighton/rczas-vol4-whitby-reighton-report-gazetteers.pdf