By Jenny Matthews BBC News Online in Boscastle

The flood swept away all the equipment, including the oven

What used to be a thriving shop selling pasties, bread and cakes is now simply a gaping gap in a row of terraced houses.

The couple's flat on the first floor sags above it.

Mr Chamberlain, soon to celebrate his 55th birthday, stands in what was the front garden, surveying the ruins and shaking his head.

It is the first time he has been allowed anywhere near it since Monday's catastrophic flood.

"We are not allowed in until it's shored up," he said.

"We can't get into the flat, can't get anything out. I think it's condemned. I'm not absolutely certain of that, but that's what we've heard up to now.

They've probably got to demolish the whole lot and rebuild. That's what we've heard is most likely."

Gaping hole

The couple will be allowed a brief escorted visit to pick up some possessions from their flat, but that is all.

"They're only allowing us about half an hour in there," said Mr. Chamberlain.

We are hoping to get up and running by next season. Of course it all depends on builders and that, but we want to do it. Nev Chamberlain, bakery owner

"We are not going to be able to get much out, and we don't even know when that's going to be."

From the front garden, where Mr Chamberlain is standing, the shop looks like a tiled corridor.

Both back and front wall have completely disappeared. Mr Chamberlain peers through towards what would have been the back of the shop.

"There was a wall across there, a window, a sink," he says, gesturing at the gaping hole at the back.

"All the work units. There was a massive, great oven as well. Where that's gone, God only knows."

Indeed, the shop looks completely empty. The force of the water appears to have carried off almost all the bakery equipment, leaving just filth, mud, bits of driftwood and broken odds and ends.

Life goes on

The Chamberlains were unable to rescue anything from the shop before the water came in.

"We didn't realise how quick or how high it was going to get," Mr Chamberlain said.

"We were bailing out buckets of water, lifting things off the floor, thinking, it's only going to be a few inches deep.

"But unfortunately, it got a bit higher than that."

Back and front wall have disappeared

The Chamberlains cannot even begin to estimate how much they have lost and are waiting for the insurance loss adjuster to turn up.

But whatever it is, they are simply grateful that they and their two members of staff escaped unhurt.

"We were in the flat until about 9.30 on the night, watching it all coming up," he said.

"The fire brigade got in a door at the end of the street and came along the balcony at the back.

"They actually came in to use the phone, but saw how high the water level was, and said: you better get out, because that window is just about to come in."

But the damage does not seem to have affected his spirits, even if the whole lot does have to be demolished and rebuilt.

"We are hoping to get up and running by next season. Of course it all depends on builders and that, but we want to do it.

"We want to do it, and the locals want us to do it."