Thousands of pounds-worth of damage was caused at an Eden pub as Storm Franklin battered Cumbria.
Linda Norman, of the Rose and Crown, Low Hesket, said they will be shut for quite a few weeks – if not months – following the deluge.
In addition to there being two feet of water in the kitchen, all the newly refurbished bar was deep with muddy water which covered the fixed seating.
“The state of the pub is terrible. It was not just water, there was also mud of the fields, which was four inches deep in the bar,” said Linda, who has run the pub with her husband, Keith, for about 20 years.
She said although they had had flooding at the pub before, this was the worst it had ever been.
In a 10-minute period from 11.45am to 11.55am, there was just no stopping the water and mud getting in – both from the front and back door.
“It was caused by surface water, running off the back field and run off from the road.”
The pub’s wooden flooring is warping and its wooden seating has also been damaged as by flood water which came up from the drains.
All the food which was in the fridges and freezers has also had to be destroyed – either by the 20 inches of water that got in – or as a result of the electricity having to be turned off.
The flood water also caused glasses to float off the shelf.
An insurance company assessor was due to be coming out to see the damage and help them navigate a way forward.
Linda said they had very much appreciated all the offers of help — including one from local farmer Neil Wainwright, who came with his slurry tanker on the day, and the firefighters who came to help pump the pub out.
What made the flood damage all the more upsetting was the fact that during the coronavirus lockdown they had refurbished the bar and had spent quite a lot of time and money painting it and getting it looking tip top.
“I feel a little devastated, but we are not going to let it beat us,” said Linda.
