muchelney under water

Muchelney‘under water’

• Map of Levels needed – blank out names

Look at the aerial image – what type of place is Muchelney?

What type of place is Muchelney?

• Muchelney is a rural hamlet with few houses and a road junction at the centre. The church is at the middle of the hamlet which has grown outwards to make a circular shape. We call this a nucleated village.

•Where has the community met? •Why do you think that this place is dry?

Has the area flooded in the past?

• The community meets at the church, which is at a higher altitude and remains dry. In the past, when flooding was more common, the church would have been built on a dry point above the flood plain.

How close is Muchelney to the river?

How were the residents of Muchelney affected by the flooding?

• Houses would be cold and wet downstairs, mostly without electricity. People’s personal belongings would have been lost. Sewage and mud would have been deposited inside people’s houses or around the outside.

• Do you think that driving into flood water is a good idea?

• How deep do you think you could drive into?• 10cm, 100cm, 2m?

• How deep would you wade into?

• Why do you think that going out for dinner is important?

Swift Water Technician• What colour is his

helmet?• What is that attached to

the side of his helmet?• What type of suit is he

wearing?• What is attached to his

harness• What does his red

button do?• What do you think it

says on his badge??

Add the clothes and accessories to the outline of a Swift Water Rescuer that she would need to rescue

the people of Muchelney.

Why, if it was a large island, does it flood?

This is Long Load,

What shape is it as a village?

Long Load has water at the end of their gardens but the houses are dry.

Are there any clues in the name of the village why?

Somerset Levels

• Originally below sea level and a wetland ecosystem - Carr

• Allegedly King Alfred hid here • Sedges grown for basket making, cider and

peat digging all industries• Drained for farming• Main drain = King Sedgemoor drain dug [1795]

south drain added after this.

Levees and Dredging

• Some believe that the levees retain the water flooding onto the flood plain

• Others have asked the government to dredge the drains so that the water will flow to the sea quicker

Links

• http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/07/world/europe/accustomed-to-floods-but-nothing-like-this-in-southern-england.html?_r=0

• http://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/weather/10564671/Stranded-the-island-in-the-middle-of-the-English-countryside.html video

• http://www.itv.com/news/west/update/2014-02-06/a-traumatic-day-for-farmer-james-winslade/ video

Settlement

What shape is Muchelney?

Nucleated

What is its OS Grid Reference?

• SY4324

What is its OS Grid Reference?

• ST 4224

table

This is Long Load,

What shape is it

as a village?

Linear

What is its OS Grid Reference?

• SY4324

Can we find some dispersed settlements?

• Pg. 65

Can we find some dispersed settlements?

• Pg. 65

• Isle Brewers?

How do you think that Roderic receives warnings about flood water?