In february 1980 W. Nelson of Ambleside recalled high water on Windermere more than 100 years ago.

"About 1912, before the alterations to the promenade were carried out, the wall of Belsfield grounds came in front of all the trees.

"The lake waters lapped against the kerbs and one only had to step off the path to find oneself in the lake water, which I did.

"The road to Cockshot, on the lake side of the trees, was completely blocked, the steam pier covered, and the pavilion flooded. Even Belle Isle could be rowed over.

"Captain Adams had a difficult job excavating the hydroplane ‘Waterbus’ from one of the old hangars at Tower Wood as the waters had nearly caused it to rise up through the roof. He managed to bring it to Cockshot for safe haulage. Steamers did not sail there as there were no piers available."

In October 1978 Brian W. Ward, writing from Knutsford in Cheshire, described the dangerous flooding of the River Kent in the early 1930s.

"As a boy, I lived on Castle Crescent which had to contend with the flooding of the river Kent, but also had the added problem of Stock Beck.

"Due to its right-angled entry under a bridge into the Kent, the river’s flood waters held it back and caused it to flood in turn.

"Originally the Thorny Hills stretch was swift-flowing and would have had a strong claim to being the original river bed, judging from its height compared with that on the New Road side of Gooseholme.

"Those of us who lived in Castle Crescent would remember the waters approaching their front doors across the green and flooding the small cellars well in advance of worse to come.

"The work on the river had more or less removed those dangers but put one of the best stickleback fishing becks out of the reach of Kendal boys!"