The start of the flood, waves on First Terrace: *From the collection of Ken Calverley*

So, what do we remember of that night in November 1977?

We checked the facts. It was a bad one. At midday the wind over the Irish sea was storm force 8 gusting to force 10, by 11pm it reached storm force 10 gusting to force 12. Gales registering 92mph drove a tidal surge estimated at 1.2 metres onto the North Lancashire coast.

The tide gauge at Heysham harbour was put out of action unable to cope with the excessive swell. That night the tide reached a record level of 7.3 metres above normal.

At Morecambe, quickly rising floodwater breached the flood defences in many places and sea water inundated much of the town causing extensive damage and hardship. In basement flats the water reached ceiling height. Across agricultural land flooding reached 0.5 m deep and killed large numbers of livestock

A large section of the West End pier in Morecambe was swept away, resulting in damage estimated at £100,000.

At Sunderland Point it is the worst flood in living memory and perhaps the equal of the great floods of 1907 and 1927. Sea water entered all the sea facing homes except for number 15 where the entrance door is at the top of steps.

The Visitor newspaper had a special photo report on the flooding. This is one of their pictures - of Cotton Tree Cottage, number 20.

The Visitor, Flood of 1977 : *Courtesy of Guardian Newspapers*

In our earlier article, the 1927 flood was brought alive by the startling eye witness account of Philip T Gilchrist. https://www.sunderlandpoint.net/blog/mydeardora We don’t have anything similar for 1977. However, we do know people who were on the Point at the time. It’s 47 years ago and memories fade, but we asked – with fingers crossed – and we weren’t disappointed.

Eye Witness Account – Alan Smith

At the time Alan and Cyn were living in 7A up the Wynt, here it is today looking towards the pound.

Alan has vivid memories of the night and of the aftermath around the Point. What was his key memory?

‘The wind, it kept blowing in tremendous gusts, it was howling, making an enormous deafening noise. I thought it would never stop. The sea was coming up the Wynt in giant waves, spray blowing from the peaks, up to our front door. I was out trying to keep the door sealed and protected with sandbags.

As the waves came up the Wynt, I jumped into my wheelbarrow to avoid getting soaked!

The sea reached the top of the Wynt and into the pound [space for car parking] it met with water that had come round the back of the Anchorage and along the back of First Terrace – for a time we were an island.

I heard that Hugh [Cunliffe] had been injured. The tide had ripped his front door off its hinges with Hugh trying to hold the door from the inside [at number 10].

On the meadow, a strip of higher land behind Second Terrace, it was strewn with debris from the outbuildings of the houses. I remember seeing an old fridge.

The tide on the First Terrace, 1977: *From the collection of Dorothy Calverley*

In the morning I had a walk round, a huge oil storage tank had become wedged in the wooden gate at the end of the Lane [onto the West Shore]. Great gouges of seaward facing land had been taken out and further along where the stone pitching had been installed as a sea defence years ago, was completely ripped out. A substantial length of the west facing Point End wall was gone.

The entire length of West Shore from Sunderland Brows to the Point End had been unrecognisably modified in one solitary tide, it was difficult to comprehend the enormity of the destruction. The raging sea at its maximum height would have been a frightening sight if one could have seen it.

Morecambe was a complete mess, like a war scene after a battle. I saw what was left of the West End Pier, it was a twisted wreck with the pier in two sections. I remember seeing kids on the beach searching for the pennies that had been spilt from the slot machines when part of the Pier collapsed.’

West End Pier after the storm of November 1977: *Courtesy of Guardian Newspapers.*

Eye witness Account – Margaret Gardner

Margaret lived at number 9 First Terrace with husband Tom Gardner and family for very many years. This is the house today.

Margaret now lives in Overton. We rang her up, her memories were clear and sharp.

‘What comes to mind first is this, Tom, and Brian [Smethurst], who would have been a teenager at the time, were at the front door trying to keep the sea from forcing the door open. The tide was coming in and Brian was complaining about a hole in his wellies!

We knew it was going to be a bad one as the wind had been rising to gale force. Tom [a fisherman] was a bit concerned about the boats, but they were all alright.

Soon we noticed water coming in the back way. The waves were so high they had come up the Lane and into the backyard and flooded into the houses. It was a mess, mud was everywhere.

I remember that Hugh [Cunliffe] next door [number 10] had also be struggling with his front door, a strong wave pushed the door into Hugh’s face knocking him backwards. His face was cut, and he was very dazed, we sent for Arthur [Hugh’s brother] up the Lane to come and help – which he did.

We also had the men from the Power Station come and take our carpet away to be dried and cleaned. They did a good job. It was a new carpet, but we didn’t bother claiming’.

Here is another SP photo from the Visitor showing damage it says, ‘sea water flooded all the houses to a depth of the bottom of the windows.’

The Visitor, First Terrace 1977: *Courtesy of Guardian Newspapers*

Eye witness account – Stephen Loxam

In 1977, Stephen was in his early 20s and living with his parents at the Anchorage. He has a vivid impression of some of the events but after so many years some of the details are a little bit hazy

‘I was out with my friend Bryan Lord, and we were in the Globe hotel. My dad [Ronald Loxam] seeing the tide as coming in much quicker than normal and knowing where we were put a call through to the Landlord [Edgar Baxter] asking to speak to me.

He told to me get home as the tide would soon be on the road. Philip ‘Pip’ Smith [another SP resident] was also in the GIobe and I told him the advice I had. We all agreed to return to the Point and Philip invited us to Hall Farm [number 14, Second Terrace] to sample some of his home brew. Bryan and I parked our cars at the Anchorage and walked along to number 14 and into the kitchen at the back.

I don’t remember much about the weather but very soon the house was flooded with water coming through the front and back doors. We were surprised but not frightened. In fact, it was a bit amusing, perhaps that was because of the home brew.

We decided we had better get back to the Anchorage in case help was needed. Going via the pad was impossible, so we waded through the water at the back of number 14 and into the fields, then we skirted the back of Dolphin House Garden, crossed the Lane and then through the fields at the back of First Terrace.

By the time we got home the tide had flooded the field [known as Skear close] right up to the house. We were knee deep in water crossing the lawn to get to the front of the house.

The tide had got into the house, but it was not so bad. The sea had come through the gates at the front of the house. I had a Land Rover at the time, which was high enough to escape the tide, Bryan had put his car in the garage, and it was flooded with sea water.’

The rear of the Anchorage today, where Stephen was knee deep in water in 1977: *Photo author.*

Eye witness account - Kath Smith

Kath was recently married and had only moved into 3A two months before the flood. This house, set back from the front has the lowest front door step of any on the Point, but the rise in the driveway at number 3 offers some protection and is not so exposed to the weather.

What happened next came as quite a surprise.

‘Well, we were sitting in the front room and suddenly the fire started hissing and went out. You see we had a Baxi back boiler fire, the intake flue was close to ground level outside. The sea water got in put the fire out. We thought to ourselves something must wrong. Seconds later the water came pouring in through the front door and the back door!

We were shocked but not frightened, flooding is something you get to know and live with. I was more worried about the insurance – it had only just been arranged. We were not long married, I don’t think we had carpets, I think we had painted the floors, most of the furniture had been begged from relatives.

The water kept rushing in from both directions, so we moved to sit on the stairs and watched the water level rise – I think it got to 3 feet deep.

The worst damage was to the brand-new Rayburn [solid fuel oven], the salt water contaminated the fibre insulation, and it was condemned. It was such a relief when we found out the insurance policy was active.

The sea got into number 3 [The Moorings]. It came over the front wall and into the hallway. It ruined the carpet.

Living on the Point you know that after high tide the sea will ebb away, so we knew it wouldn’t last.

I do remember that at 2am in the morning we went onto the front at First Terrace to see if everyone was all right. There were lots of people about, all the houses had been flooded and some were in shock.

Afterwards workers from the [Heysham] Power Station came round to collect carpets and furniture to be dried and cleaned, they took a rug and the three-piece suite from us.’

This is a 3A as it is today.

In the Visitor flood edition of 1977, there is a photograph of the inside of number 3A shortly after the event.

The Visitor, Inside 3A 1977: *Courtesy of Guardian Newspapers*

We talked to John who now lives in Glasson Dock, he confirmed Kath’s account.

‘I remember the tide floating the logs off the fire and the concern over the insurance. I also remember being worried about our wedding photograph album that was in a downstairs cupboard but fortunately it was unscathed.’

Not one of those we talked to expressed fear or even alarm, it’s one of those things you get used to at Sunderland Point.

We express our sincere thanks to Margaret Gardner, Kath Smith, Stephen Loxam, Alan Smith, and John Smith for allowing us to share their memories.

On the ‘Flooding’ page in our ‘Environment’ section there is a summary of the 1977 storm with several photographs. To access this page please follow this link. https://www.sunderlandpoint.net/climate-change