What a week of weather we are having and when will the rain stop?
Earlier today Dad and I put on our coats and headed down towards the River Eden in Carlisle to see what we could see.
Mum had promised a bath upon our return, so it was all paws in puddles and bring on the mud as we headed out.
It did not take long to get my legs soaked and as it slowly splashed onto my tummy, it washed away any inhibitions as I actively sought out new sniffs.
Our walk lead down towards the old Waverley Bridge where we were amazed with the width of the River Eden.
Flowing strongly beneath the bridge, it roared like an untamed beast as it headed towards the Solway.
Escaping across the nearby fields the river must have been 500m wide at times.
The path under the bridge was at times swamped giving a good indication that the River Eden had risen well over two metres from normal. According to the Environment Agency the river was about 4m deep at the nearby Sheepmount monitoring station.
This is well below the floods of 8th January, 2005 when the river level reached 7.23 metres.
The typical river level range for this location is between 0.63 metres and 3.45 metres.
Flooding detour
With the path blocked by flood water we detoured via the high path behind the Cumberland Infirmary and out into Port Road Industrial Estate.
Walking back towards the River Eden further upstream we rejoined the path to the rear of the Willowholme Industrial Estate.
Since the 2005 floods, extensive works have been carried out to heighten the river banks on this side of the city.
With the water contained we could watch in awe as it buffeted and pushed hard against the bridge pillars of the West Coast main line behind the Sheepmount stadium.
Dark clouds
Occasionally during our walk we needed to find shelter from severe hailstorms.
Acting like a bullet proof vest, my padded coat took the hits as the pea sized ice bombarded us from the very dark sky.
As it fell, the air temperature plummeted and I became cold. I soon realised that I could use dad as a windbreak by staying close to his legs.
As we left the River Eden behind us and crossed the wide open parkland behind the Castle we spotted the climbing frame once again surrounded by water.
I have to say that this problem has been ongoing with this installation and it really should be moved onto higher ground where it could be used more frequently.
However, dad took an interesting picture and we discussed that maybe it was not a children’s play thing after all, but an art installation?
Rail line repairs
Swamped by water, the saga continues with the repairs to the West Coast Mainline near Carlisle.
Regular readers will know that I am keeping my eye on the works between the Devonshire Walk car park and the Old Brewery apartments.
Today the whole work site was under water and as a result nothing could be seen of new wall or steel piles that have been installed.
At this rate it is going to be Summer before the works are finished and the earth bank protected from any further erosion.
First signs of Spring
To end this update in a positive way, here is my first photograph showing spring bulbs breaking through the earth.
Spotted in Bitts Park earlier this week these shoots are possibly from daffodils and are about 4cm tall.
The bright green stems contrast with the surrounding dark rotting autumn leaves.
Until next time, as my bath now awaits.
Charlie