Sheffield Daily Telegraph – Tuesday 03 January 1939

Winter Again Cuts Off Northern Villages

Flooding Threat in Sheffield Area

Blizzards swept the North of England again yesterday, isolating hamlets and farms by deep drifts, while the Midlands had floods—the aftermath of Christmas snow and rain

At Bolton-on-Dearne, the swollen river is running almost level with its banks and it is feared that flooding will soon occur, especially as the Dearne carries the floodwater from the Bradford district, where a heavy fall of snow was recorded. Acres of low-lying meadowland around Bolton, Adwick, and further along the river in the direction of Denaby are under water. Water was creeping over the embankment at Broomhill when it began to recede, and serious flooding was avoided. Trenching work carried out by the Dearne and Dove Internal Drainage Board in the area had had a marked effect.

Sheffield Evening Telegraph – Friday 06 January 1939

Bus Skids

The 12 passengers on Yorkshire Traction bus bound from Mexborough to Doncaster, to-day, had to complete their journey on another bus as a result of a collision between their vehicle and a motor-lorry owned by Braim and Cooper Ltd., the fat refinery works, Conisborough.

The accident was a result of the treacherous state of the road in Low Road, Conisborough.

The perils of the snow and frostbound roads in the Mexborough neighbourhood were increased by a thick fog which covered the whole district. There were fortunately few accidents reported, due largely to the fact that most private cars were left at home. Transport and commercial vehicles had difficulty in moving about, and most of the services were delayed.

At Bolton-on-Dearne a motor lorry and van came into collision in High Street. The vehicles were travelling in opposite directions, and each driver saw the other approaching, but neither was able to avoid the accident when they skidded towards each other on the icy surface.

Leeds Mercury – Thursday 12 January 1939

Flooded Trenches And Danger To Children

Conlsborough Urban District Council last night had attention drawn by Mr. R. H. Shephard to the danger of the flooded A.R.P. dug at Denaby during the crisis. He said children might wander to the trenches and be drowned. Mr. H. Thlrlwall, surveyor, stated that Instructions had been given for the trenches fenced, but bad weather had held the work.

Leeds Mercury – Monday 16 January 1939

Angry Yorkshire Rivers

Seagulls At Wombwell

The Dearne reached a new high level at Darfield, being a foot higher than at any previous time this Winter. The water was two feet deep for a distance of 100 yards alongside Mitchell Main cricket ground, on which seagulls were seen. At this point the water reached over the top of the arch of the bridge and the floods short-circuited a bend in the river to rush across the sidings at Darfield Main and imperil the greyhound track in Station Road, Wombwell.

Flood water reached the pathway between Darfield and Houghton Main colliery.

The whole of the flooded area consists of agricultural land were under water. Several of the main roads resembled rivers. About 100 acres were under water in the Denaby Pastures district. Low-lying land beside the river at Conisborough and Sprotborough also was affected

Sheffield Daily Telegraph – Monday 16 January 1939

Beer Barrels Float

The River Dearne has overflowed its banks at Barnsley, where fields and roads are flooded. The road between Stairfoot and Cundycroft, on the way to Wakefield, has been flooded to an extent which makes it impassable for traffic, which has been diverted. Two football grounds have been turned into lakes, only the tops of the goalposts being visible. At one hotel barrels of beer were last night floating about in four feet of water.

The River Don overflowed its banks at Kilnhurst Wash yesterday, with the result that more low-lying land for a mile stretch between Swinton and Mexborough is now under water, in some places up to six feet. Anxious watch is being kept on the river at a point near the Swinton sewage works, where the river was 15 feet above normal.

The river was also exceedingly high at Denaby and about 100 acres were under water in the Denaby pastures district. The Dearne reached a new high level at Darfield, yesterday.

Passage between Wombwell and Low Valley from Mitchell Main to Darfield Main collieries was made impossible for traffic.

Sheffield Evening Telegraph – Thursday 19 January 1939

New Don Floods Threat

The sharp rise of the river Don and the fact that it is still rising as increased fears of flooding in the Doncaster area

Hedgerows Covered

While the floods occasioned by the overflowing of the Don near Mexborough and Swinton last week-end have subsided to a large extent, the River Dearne has caused widespread flooding throughout the district.

Over a huge tract of land between Wath and Bolton-on-Dearne it is difficult to determine the course of the river so high are the floods, in some places all the hedgerows being covered.

At Denaby halt station the flooding on the Mexborough-High Melton road was serious and the road was inundated to a depth of four feet for a distance of 150 yards. Traffic had to be diverted.