Fredo76
Über Member
- Location
- Española, NM
Rio Grande from NM 502
Yeah I’d give Watery Lane at Scropton a miss around about now!Many of the routes I use are flooded so I am waiting till tomorrow .
a sightseeing pace of 7.5 mph average (lots of walking involved)
I had to do a double take- I thought you were in Venice looking at these pics! Fair play to you for even attempting to get near there!I haven't been on the bike for over a week again due to a mix of things to be done and the grotty weather we've had. Today wasn't brilliant either with strong winds but it was dry and didn't seem too bad by the afternoon (the Met Office appears to have a different opinion of that ) so I went out anyway.
It was just a short one to go and see how the river levels had come up after all the rain that storms Dudley, Eunice and Franklin had dumped on us. The underpass at Meole Island was flooded pretty well, but that tends to flood after most storms so not a surprise.
Riding down to Coleham Head I had to pass two sets of temporary traffic lights but didn't see any of the usual warnings about the road being closed due to floods (which I knew it was by now). The result was chaos as a steady stream of vehicles was headed down, only to find the way barred and that they had to turn back.
The water was out at Coleham Head and rising along Longden Coleham but not yet as high as I know it can get. A couple of guys in a Freelander had made a point of ignoring the closure from the Longden side coz they've got a four wheel drive and it can take a bit of water....... only to find a four foot flood barrier blocking the road they wanted to take next. What, no levitate button?
Moving on, the water hadn't got anywhere near the access to Greyfriars footbridge so I used that to get into the centre and had a tour round the usual spots that the water gets to. Amazingly nobody had left their car to be drowned in the St. Julian's car park, or any of the other car parks that have flooded either, as far as I could see. That must be some kind of record.
As is often the case, people become chatty when there is something like this going on so I'd had a few conversations en route through the Quarry, round to Victoria Quay, into Frankwell then back into the town centre to make my way round the blockages of Smithfield Road and Raven Meadows.
After getting to Castlefields I did think about riding to Atcham but changed my mind and thought I'd go back to Coleham and see if the water level was noticably different. It was, which shouldn't be surprising as the river isn't expected to peak until sometime tomorrow morning.
At the time of writing this, 4.9 metres above normal is the latest measurement - extremely high and a full 30cm higher than when I was in town. It's possible that it will go beyond the existing record of 5.25 metres set in November 2000, but I know the height forecasts can be way out so I shall be interested to see where it ends up.
12.6 miles for this one at a sightseeing pace of 7.5 mph average (lots of walking involved).
View attachment 632044
First visit to Coleham Head and anyone would think the road was closed.
View attachment 632045
A riverside property is lovely much of the time but not when the river wants to come in and share.
View attachment 632046
Crescent Lane is definitely a no through road today.
View attachment 632047
Hercules has become part of a new water feature.
View attachment 632048
The Armoury's diners would have kept their feet dry when they went in. Fortunately there is a back door which the water shouldn't be able to reach....... not yet anyhow.
View attachment 632049
The steps on Frankwell footbridge giving a good idea of how quickly the water is moving.
View attachment 632050
Smithfield Road is usually one of the busiest streets in the town centre.
View attachment 632051
Raven Meadows.
View attachment 632052
Chester Street. Not much chance of getting out of town that way.
View attachment 632053
I've worked my way back round to Coleham Head and not only is the level visibly higher than an hour or so ago but it's fountaining up through the drains.