Journal entry – John Grey – 27 Feb 1835

Friday 27th February 1835



      I was grieved to be informed on reaching home last night, that since the Flood on the Tyne had abated, a considerable breach was found to have taken place in the Embankment at Widehaugh. I set out this morning, and was to ascertain the extent of the evil, taking with me Mr Ward & Harle who has had the management of that kind of work.  The embankment is happily not broken entirely through, or the consequences would have been most serious.

      The Breach has taken place in the highest & most important part of the bank, just where the turn of the river, in the field called Wear Haugh in the Plan, causes the body of the Water to press most heavily against the Dilston side. There is a breast work of Stone by the Rivers edge to the height of several feet, upon which the embankment rises to a considerable height.   I have always considered it [struck out: ‘important’ and replaced with ‘unfortunate’ in pencil] that in this most dangerous & critical part of the whole line the bank is placed so close to the river, as to increase the danger of its being broken & the difficulty of repairing it.  The foundation of the Stone Work seems to have given way & a slip of the embankment to a considerable extent, to have been the consequence, the whole of the Materials so moved from their place, having disappeared in the River.   Had the Flood with the tremendous west wind that accompanied it, continued a little longer, the bank must have been cut entirely through and all those Fields in Widehaugh laid under Water, besides that another breach at the low end must have been made in its passage into the Devils Water or Tyne.  And should another Flood succeed before it can be repaired, the same thing may still occur.  Nothing can be done to repair the breast work , till the River is so low as to admit of seeing the state of the Foundation, but in the meantime, the immense breach must be filled up by cramming into it Cart loads of Thorns & brushwood, mixed with Stones & earth to keep it firm & to prevent the lash of the Water from taking off the thin part of the interior bank which remains - for in that case the damage which may now be repaired, I hope for £25 or £30 might amount to £200 or £300.   I have set to work at once to provide the necessary materials & shall collect all the hands tomorrow that can be made available, if the state of the River will permit, & shall spare no exertion to prevent further mischief, although the recurrence of a Flood might overcome every effort.  I feel that no alternative remains for me in this case, but to proceed with the work on my own responsibility, as to await orders from the Board would endanger the safety of many Fields, & the Embankments at the low end of the Haugh. I examined all the Embankments on the line of the River, but found no injury done to them.

[marginal pencil annotation: ‘entirely approve’]