The Great Storm of 1906
The Great Storm of 1906
Destruction throughout the SouthWest
OK, so storms are fairly common and don't often make the news, but the storm of Saturday 23 June 1906 was by all accounts a real corker.
Lasting some two hours in the evening, it wreaked havoc across Somerset, Dorset and Wiltshire damaging houses, destroying trees and crops and killing livestock. Several premises in Lower Middle Street were flooded as was much of Weymouth.
As well as Yeovil, damage also occurred in Chard, Crewkerne, Langport, Somerton, Wells, Sherborne, Bridport, Weymouth, Wareham, Evercreech, Amesbury and Devizes. Blinding lightning and torrential rain were accompanied by hailstones "of remarkable shape and size" resulting in heavy losses of livestock and extensive damage to greenhouses, etc.
At Blandford a railway signal box was struck by lightning and burnt out and a cottage at Sherborne was also struck. A granary at Amesbury was destroyed by lightning.
gallery
From my
collection
A postcard produced by the Yeovil stationer Hallett of a tree struck by lightning during the storm and making an ideal playground for three young lads.
A report from the 29 June 1906 edition of the Western Gazette on the storm at Yeovil. This edition carried details of the storm that also hit Chard, Crewkerne, Langport, Somerton, Wells, Sherborne, Bridport, Weymouth, Evercreech and Devizes.
