The latest meeting of the SVA’s History Group looked at an interesting ‘diversion’:
The history of the culverts under the Woolbrook Road
Brian Golding noted that there are copious references and pictures of bridges over the Bickwell stream, where it crossed Cotmaton Road and the Esplanade, but that he had found no references to bridges over the Wool Brook.
There was a discussion around whether the stream might have changed its course, but reference to the 1789 manor map showed both the road and the stream in their current locations. While the road traffic would certainly have forded the stream, it seems likely that some sort of foot crossing would have been provided.
[Post meeting notes: Phil Lee referred to Anna Sutton Story of Sidmouth who stated:
‘The group of thatched buildings known as ‘The Square’, the home of the Churchills and Ebdons, I am told, is to be preserved as an ancient monument. Across the road from there stood the little village school, used also on Sunday for services and entertainments. This building stood on a spot which is now in the middle of the road, for the road had to be widened, and a fine new hall built”. Phil suggests that No.98 Woolbrook Road stands on the site of the fine new hall. He uses this as evidence that maybe the road has moved and the brook was always on one side of the road. However, this was the site of the “tin tabernacle” (used as both church and school) which was replaced by St Francis Church, so I suspect Anna Sutton is referring to that as the little village school. In which case it was not in the middle of the road – though the road may have been widened when it was demolished. Since the 1789 map clearly shows the brook crossing the road, I don’t think this weakens the evidence that it always has done so.]
History-group-notes-24-07-15.pdf
With thanks to the SVA’s History Group for these notes.
Woolbrook Road has suffered from regular flooding:
From the County Council in June this year:
Culvert replacement completed in Sidmouth – News
From the VGS news pages over the years:
Flooding issues in Sidmouth – Vision Group for Sidmouth (Nov 2019)
Flooding issues in Sidmouth: part 2 – Vision Group for Sidmouth (Feb 2020)
How roads become rivers – Vision Group for Sidmouth (Dec 2023)
And a moment from 2012:
Sidmouth floods (2) © Anthony Vosper :: Geograph Britain and Ireland
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