MANY acres of riverside land in the Avon Valley were inundated by extensive flooding 75 years ago.

The Journal of 1935 reported: “The heavy rain over the weekend followed as it did a week of exceptionally heavy rainfall.

“At Evesham, the river rose very rapidly during Saturday night and Sunday, and before noon on Monday it had reached a height of about nine feet above normal.

“When the flood was at its height, the Lower Abbey Park was completely covered by water, and was used by the large flock of swans as a new swimming pool.

“At Bidford the water reached within a few inches of the tops of the arches of the 14th century bridge, and at Salford Priors the Arrow flooded a wide area of meadowland. In the Pershore district farmers and others who had land beside the river and streams and owners of cattle moved their animals to higher ground.

“By Monday morning, the Avon at Pershore had risen several feet during the night and completely covered the bordering meadows, including the Weir Meadow and the football and rugby grounds.

“The water continued to rise until the afternoon when it lapped over to form a small pool in the road near Pershore bridge.

“Village roads were flooded through streams at Besford, Cropthorne and other places bursting their banks, but none were rendered impassable.

“Another effect of the heavy rain was the collapse of a high wall at the Vicarage, Pershore, early on Sunday morning, which completely blocked Church Street until workmen removed the debris. Luckily no one was in the vicinity at the time of the occurrence.”