This was my visit to Boscastle on August 16th 2004. A day the people living there will never forget! Not because of my presence, or my Danish friends who were with me, but because of the Floods which pretty much destroyed the village an hour or so after we had left there, that afternoon. These photos were some of the last taken, before the torrential rain down the valley slopes, made the river swell and created havoc that day. The weather whilst we were there , had been unsettled and umbrellas were the essential item. The dark clouds were almost hovvering over that village and the sky was looking very ominious Indeed. We had been to the "Cobweb Inn" for lunch and the thunder & lightening started then. A later visit to the "Witchcraft Museum", was cut short though, as I felt a need to leave the place altogether.
Fortunately we did!....though my car park ticket was to run out at 3pm I seem to remember.
So we were lucky we left then, missing the disaster that was to follow later on.
It was a miracle that no-one was killed or seriously Injured. Though people had to leave their homes and the flooding caused terrible damage. Some airlifted by Helicopters to safety.
A few buildings like the "Harbour Light", which was 400 years old, was Destroyed. A photo of it (above) showed how it looked. With its dipping roof!. Amazing how it lasted that long I guess.
The village itself is looked after by the National Trust.
At the moment it's getting back to normal, after extensive re-building and work to get peoples lives back on track. An area which pretty much relies on Tourists to make a livelihood for its residents & businesses. I hope to re-visit there In June this year. Hopefully the weather will be much Improved!!.
