Welham Green's storm relief work in the 1970s

Flooding in Dellsome Lane in the 1970s
Photograph by K. King - part of the Images of North Mymms Collection

For many years areas of Welham Green have been prone to flooding. Two areas to suffer the most have been Dellsome Lane close to Whites Corner and Travellers Lane close to the junction with Dixons Hill Road. In the 1970s two storm relief drains were laid with the aim of diverting water away from the village towards the swallow holes at Water End.

One of the drains took excess water around the Welham Green shops in Dellsome Lane to a tank under the green before pumping it through drains to an area known as The Watersplash on Station Road just south of the Catholic church, and from there into a brook leading to Water End.

Flooding in Dellsome Lane in the 1970s
Image by K. King - part of the Images of North Mymms Collection

The image above shows the drains lined up outside the shops in Dellsome Lane ready to be laid.  

Proposed route of the drainage - May 1969
Map courtesy of V Barnard - part of the Images of North Mymms Collection

The map above shows the proposed route of the planned drainage. The second drainage route dealt with the problem of excess water at the industrial site on Travellers Lane. This resulted in the water being discharged into the stream that runs under the railway at Foxes Lane.

From there the stream goes past the Catholic church, under The Watersplash and on to Water End. People in Skimpans Close on the side that backed onto the railway had their gardens dug up to avoid railway property.

Dellsome Lane flooding in 2000
Photograph by J. Lyons and part of the Images of North Mymms Collection

The route taking water away from outside the shops on Dellsome Lane has not always been 100% successful. When the pumps on the green block the water backs up and the area around the shops can flood.

And it's not suprising when you look at old photographs of what is now Dellsome Lane.

Post Office Row, now Dellsome Lane, in the 1900s
Photograph A Nott / G Knott - part of the Images of North Mymms Collection

The image above shows Dellsome Lane in the 1900s with a ditch running alongside it. Since then pavements and shops have been built, and that water has to go somewhere.

According to local resident D'Arcy Marlborough, posting on the North Mymms History Project Facebook group locals were involved in some of the excavation work. "A guy who lived at the top of Dellsome Lane, Martin Flaherty, had a three-in-one digger and he did excavation work".

Storm drain work south of Bulls Lane 1972
Photograph by Ron Kingdon - part of the Images of North Mymms Collection

D'Arcy writes that "two boys were overcome by fumes in the chambers on the green during construction and had to rescued by the fire brigade".

Storm drain work alongside the North Mymms football pitch 1972
Photograph by Ron Kingdon - part of the Images of North Mymms Collection

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