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BoscastleBoscastle (Cornish: Kastell Boterel) is a small town on the north coast of Cornwall, in the extreme southwest of Britain. It has the only natural harbour for 20 miles along the coast, protected by two stone harbour walls built in 1584 by Sir Richard Grenville (of the Revenge). The oldest parts of the town surround the harbor, which once exported slate, and extend up the valleys of the Rivers Valency and Jordan. More modern buildings (principally residential) creep up the steep stone banks and hills surrounding the harbour and valleys. Boscastle has one of the nearest youth hostels to the ruins of Tintagel Castle, particularly on foot along approximately five miles of the Cornwall coastal path, part of the much longer South West Way Long-distance footpath. The name of the town derives from Bottreaux Castle, of which few remains survive. Flooding in 2004 On August 16 2004, Boscastle suffered extensive damage when 2 inches (6 cm) of rain fell in 2 hours during the afternoon. The torrential rain combined with a rising tide led to a 7 foot (2 metre) rise in river levels in one hour. A 10 foot (3 metre) wave surged down the main road, travelling at an estimated 40 miles per hour (65 km/h). Around 50 cars and 6 buildings were washed into the sea, along with uprooted trees and other debris. Many other buildings were reported unsafe or to have suffered serious flood damage. Most of the tourist attractions and shops are in the oldest parts of the town, in the areas most affected by the flood at the bottom of the river valleys. The visitor centre was half demolished, and the museum of witchcraft was also severely damagedhttp://www.museumofwitchcraft.com/. In an operation lasting from mid-afternoon until 2.30am, a fleet of seven helicopters rescued about 150 people clinging to trees and the roofs of buildings and cars. Amazingly no major injuries or loss of life were reported. Following the rescues, emergency services cleared debris that had built up beneath and over the bridge at the centre of the village, and waters receded. Early assessments of the damage caused by the floods have concluded that many buildings may have to be demolished. The floods were the worst in local memory. The last time Boscastle had suffered notable flooding was in 1996 as a result of Hurricane Lili. Fifty-two years earlier, to the day, the town of Lynmouth, a small town some miles further east along the north coast in Devon near Exmoor, suffered extensive damage in a catastrophic flood, in which 34 people lost their lives. Trivia Private Eye revealed that whilst 55 residents were airlifted out by the Royal Air Force after the flooding, 35 BBC staff were flown in by other means. See also External links
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