The Great Flood of 1771 affected several rivers, including the Tyne, Tees,

Wear Wear is the damaging, gradual removal or deformation of material at solid surfaces. Causes of wear can be mechanical (e.g., erosion) or chemical (e.g., corrosion). The study of wear and related processes is referred to as tribology. Wear in ...

and Eden and settlements across northern

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

from 16 and 17 November 1771. Its cause was a sudden thaw of the ice in

upper Teesdale Upper Teesdale is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in the west County Durham, England. It encompasses an extensive upland area that includes the headwaters of the River Tees and the surrounding catchment area upstream of the village ...

, a cloud burst over the Pennines and a continuous period of rain. On the River Tyne at

Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is ...

the middle arch and two of the arches near the Gateshead side collapsed in the early hours of November 17. Like many bridges of the time there had been houses and shops on the bridge. Upstream, most of the village of Styford on the north bank was destroyed. In total, 25 people died and thirteen or fourteen bridges, including Hexham Bridge, were destroyed on the North, South and main Tyne rivers. On the River Wear in the city of

Durham Durham most commonly refers to: *Durham, England, a cathedral city and the county town of County Durham *County Durham, an English county * Durham County, North Carolina, a county in North Carolina, United States *Durham, North Carolina, a city in N ...

three arches of Elvet Bridge were destroyed, and Prebends Bridge of 1574 was swept away. Further downstream the city's

Corn Mill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and middlings. The term can refer to either the grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist is grain that has been separate ...

was badly damaged and needed to be rebuilt. On the River Tees mills and houses were lost, and the river was reportedly wide at Low Coniscliffe.

Yarm Yarm, also referred to as Yarm-on-Tees, is a market town and civil parish in the Borough of Stockton-on-Tees, North Yorkshire, England. It was previously a port town before the industry moved down the River Tees to more accessible settlements n ...

was one of the areas worst affected, as the river burst its banks in several places. Some stretches of the High Street were submerged in of water. According to reports, the whole of Yarm lay underwater, every building was affected, six houses were destroyed and many more left uninhabitable. The Shambles was washed away and the town's main church was also damaged. Nine of the townspeople also died. To the west, the River Eden also rose and affected Carlisle and Botcherby Mill, flooding the church. as did Solway Moss, flooding local farms and settlements.

References

Further reading