Skipton breathed a sigh of relief as a crumbling towpath
preventing swollen Eller Beck from crashing into the canal
below held firm.
An emergency dam had been constructed from bags of
stone outside the Royal Shepherd pub in the hope that a
tidal wave of water coming down the Springs extension of
the Canal, expected if the towpath wall gave way, would be
diverted back into the beck near the Coach Street bridge.
The theory was not tested and, as Friday dawned dry and
bright, engineers were pondering their next move.
Earlier around 700 homes in Skipton had been advised to
evacuate as the towpath was expected give way. Some
slept in emergency accommodation provided by the council
but most stayed at home and awaited the flood which
never happened.
The incident follows days of heavy rain which has already
caused flooding to homes in low lying parts of Skipton and
surrounding villages.
The main Skipton to Keighley road has been closed for two
days, train services cancelled and schools forced to send
children home.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article