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Great Storm of 1824

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Fleet Old Church was destroyed in the storm but the chancel was retained.

The Great Storm of 1824 (or Great Gale) was a hurricane force wind and storm surge that affected the south coast of England from 22 November 1824.[1] The storm raged for two days.[2]

Nearly 100 people were believed to be killed across the counties of Devon and Dorset.[3]

At Sidmouth, low-lying houses along the Esplanade were inundated, and cottages at the exposed west end were destroyed. The 40 feet (12 m) sea-stack at Chit Rock was destroyed.[4] In Plymouth, 22 vessels were sunk and over 200,000 tonnes of stone was swept away from the breakwater.[5]

It destroyed the esplanade at Weymouth; it broke across Chesil Beach and the Fleet Lagoon, almost destroying the villages of Fleet and Chiswell.[6][7] Many buildings in Melcombe Regis were destroyed.[8] Preston and Lodmoor flooded.[9]

In Lyme Regis it topped the Cobb, and destroyed about 90m of its length.[1] According to the book Heroine of Lyme Regis by Harriot Forde, the house and fossil shop belonging to Mary Anning was flooded.[10]

The ferry between the Isle of Portland and the mainland was washed away.[7] Though coastal communities bore the brunt of the storm, inland areas were also damaged including Dorchester.[11]

The quays at Weymouth were overcome and most properties on the seafront and much of the lower part of the town were flooded by the deluge. The pier at the entrance of the harbour also sustained considerable damage, whilst boats and vessels were carried into the streets by the waves, where they drifted helplessly.[12]

The year 2024 marked the bicentennial anniversary of the storm and was marked by events held in the area.[13] An exhibition was organised by the Dorset Coast Forum with the Environment Agency and BCP Council.[14] It was held in Portland, Lyme Regis, West Bay and Poole.[15]

References

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  1. ^ a b Thea Hawksworth (2016). "Lyme's History in Objects" (PDF). Lyme Regis Museum. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 February 2017. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
  2. ^ "200 years since Great Gale struck the South West". BBC News. 22 November 2024. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
  3. ^ "Looking back: The Great Gale of 1824". Bridport and Lyme Regis News. 5 December 2017. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  4. ^ West, Ian (2 June 2017). "Geology of Sidmouth and Ladram Bay, Devon". University of Southampton. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
  5. ^ "The Great Gale: Reliving the deadly storm 200 years on". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
  6. ^ "Fleet". Archived from the original on 7 October 2016. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
  7. ^ a b "The Great Gale of 1824". Archived from the original on 4 February 2017. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
  8. ^ "When Weymouth seafront was destroyed by Great Gale of 1824". Dorset Echo. 4 September 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  9. ^ "When a tsunami-like surge washed away the ferry to Portland and killed more than 100 people". Dorset Echo. 21 November 2017. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
  10. ^ Taylor, Michael A (2020). "Mary Anning of Lyme Regis, and the Great Storm of 1824". National Museums Scotland.
  11. ^ "When a tsunami-like surge washed away the ferry to Portland and killed more than 100 people". Dorset Echo. 21 November 2017. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  12. ^ "The Great Gale of 1824". Dorset Life. 2013. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
  13. ^ "Show staged ahead of anniversary of catastrophic weather event". Dorset Echo. 6 October 2023. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  14. ^ "Great Gale of 1824: Exhibition marks 200 years since deadly storm". BBC News. 25 October 2024. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
  15. ^ "Exhibition marks 200 years since devastating storm on Dorset coast". Bournemouth Echo. 1 November 2024. Retrieved 25 November 2024.


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