24 October 2023 , 22:00
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Storm Babet ’s wild winds and torrential rains damaged several historic National Trust properties across the UK.
The full extent of the damage is still being assessed but the costs of repairs are feared they could eventually amount to tens of thousands of pounds. At the world-famous Cragside in Northumberland, the first house in the world to be powered by hydro-electricity, relentless rain fell onto the two sides of the Coquet valley.
Water levels in the nearby River Coquet rose from its usual 0.4 metres to 3.27 metres, bursting its banks. Meanwhile, in Kedleston Hall in Derbyshire, home to an 18th-century Pleasure Ground, the storm caused structural damage to a wooden footbridge on the lakeside walk and washed away bench seats.
An uprooted 260-year-old tree by Storm Babet (PA)At Charlecote Park in Warwickshire, a 260-year old Cedar of Lebanon came down in the deer park, probably due to the weight of water brought by Storm Babet. The tree is thought to have been planted in the 1760s. Large areas of the parkland are now closed or inaccessible due to flooding, storm damage and waterlogged ground.
Harry Bowell, head of land and nature said: “We know one of the consequences of climate change will be the frequency of more extreme weather events, and we experienced the direct impact of the prolonged levels of rainfall and high winds on our places last week. We recognise we need to adapt our places to cope with the likelihood of these extreme weather events – and we are already doing that through establishing trees and woodlands, restoring peatlands to hold more water in our landscapes, particularly upland areas – and through our work to re-connect rivers with their floodplains to create new areas of wetland to again help hold the water back in times of heavy and persistent rainfall.
Gales, snow and rain to batter country today with 80mph wind gusts
The Chinese Bedroom at Belton, Lincolnshire as Storm Babet (PA)
The stormy river in Carding Mill Valley in Shropshire (PA)“It is now more important than ever we play our part to adapt to our changing weather patterns as well as implementing more measures to tackle climate change. But we also need more urgent and wide-ranging investment and action to address these issues by governments and leaders across the country.”
Other locations to suffer damage included Belton House in Lincolnshire where the sheer volume of rainfall overwhelmed guttering and water leaked into a number of windows. Among the rooms affected was the Chinese Bedroom, which is lined with highly significant handpainted wallpaper hung in 1830.
Staff used padding to soak up water trickling down the paper and used a dehumidifier to prevent mould developing. Fortunately, no staining is visible and the historic adhesive is intact, but its condition will be closely monitored by conservators. The River Witham also burst its banks, causing significant flooding in the pleasure grounds and children’s playground which is now under repair.
Andy Jasper, director of Gardens and Parklands at the National Trust, said: "Our garden teams are doing an amazing job, working hard to repair and reinstate damaged areas and we are so grateful for their efforts in such difficult conditions. Some visitors may not be able to visit parts of their favourite gardens or parkland while we do this work and we thank them for their patience, too.
"These extreme weather events are likely to become more frequent as a sign of the rapidly changing climate. With more than 220 gardens and parklands across the National Trust, we are doing everything we can to make these historic gardens as future-proof as possible.”