Cornish pubs hit by flash flooding

Mike Moyle, landlord of the Tywarnhayle Inn in Perranporth, said he feared for his business after the pub has been forced to close because of flooding for the fourth time in less than a year.

“At 8am it was clear on the road outside. By 8:30am we had to call the fire brigade,” he said.

“The water level came up so high – about 8 inches – and unfortunately it was all sewerage water. We’re at the lowest point in the town and the drains just can’t cope with the sheer volume of water.

“So far the insurance has paid up. But come October when we have to renew the insurance contract anything could happen.”

Moyle added that an assessor will be visiting the pub on Wednesday (7 August) and he estimates that the pub will be closed for around three weeks.

Costly episode​

“The place has got to be dried out and we have a concrete floor so it takes a while,” he continued.

“Previously we have put in a carpet so we could trade but we had to rip it up when it got flooded again. It’s been a costly episode.

“We’re at the height of season now so it’s very unfortunate we have to close. We’ll be a ghost town again come October and the early part of the season was tough this year, so business will be a struggle.”

The Cornishman in Crantock also flooded yesterday morning, but landlady Kathleen Mackinnon said the pub managed to open as usual.

“I left here at 8:10am to go to the cash and carry and when I got back at 9:20am there was a fire engine in the car park and firemen pumping water. It was at knee height out of the cellar,” she said.

“Once the area was clear we managed to open shortly after normal.”

Business impact​

Mackinnon said the pub used to flood around once a year but this is the fourth time it has flooded in two years. A local shop and post office in the village also flooded.

Although the pub was able to open Mackinnon said it has still affected business.

“We couldn’t sell beer that had been in the cellar but we had bottled beer from the storage upstairs. It has still affected business in a sense – customers are not able to get the products they want,” she said.

Parts of North Devon, Wales and West Yorkshire were also hit by flooding yesterday.

The Environment Agency has issued a flood alert today for Exmoor and West Cornwall Rivers, although the level of risk is now estimated as “very low”.

Have you been affected by flooding? Send us your comments below or email pictures and videos to Ellie Bothwell.​