12th February 2014, 11:30 AM
(This post was last modified: 12th February 2014, 11:33 AM by gonetopot.)
Unfortunately, but neccesarilly, this may be one of those situations where heritage comes second, and our sector may not win any favors by raising the alarm too loud. I fear all we can do is look on with a degree of anguish.
On the plus side, most of the Somerset Levels areas flooded are relatively marginal agricultiral land where new drainage will be minimal, and since prehistory most of these areas have been flooded many times over so new waterlogging ought not to increase deteriororation. Coversely, much of the Thames Valley flooded areas, are already developed, therefore large-scale tuuncation has laready occured by our own hand.
I don't think the situation heritage-wise is as dire as could be, and through a slightly melancholic lens, it is kind of interesting to see which areas flood when the waters rise, compared to how we think topography will be effected. Obviously water course are dynamic, and much has changed, but it illustrates why they were so important and some land wasn't.
I agree with a huge amount of sympathy and charity to Cornwall and Somerset, some of those families must have felt quite abandoned, but my sympathy for Datchett and other Thames-side areas is limited. They thought riverside location at those prices was too good to be true, well nature is a fickle animal.
On the plus side, most of the Somerset Levels areas flooded are relatively marginal agricultiral land where new drainage will be minimal, and since prehistory most of these areas have been flooded many times over so new waterlogging ought not to increase deteriororation. Coversely, much of the Thames Valley flooded areas, are already developed, therefore large-scale tuuncation has laready occured by our own hand.
I don't think the situation heritage-wise is as dire as could be, and through a slightly melancholic lens, it is kind of interesting to see which areas flood when the waters rise, compared to how we think topography will be effected. Obviously water course are dynamic, and much has changed, but it illustrates why they were so important and some land wasn't.
I agree with a huge amount of sympathy and charity to Cornwall and Somerset, some of those families must have felt quite abandoned, but my sympathy for Datchett and other Thames-side areas is limited. They thought riverside location at those prices was too good to be true, well nature is a fickle animal.