Charlecote Park suffers worst flooding in more than a decade

A National Trust property has reopened after its worst flooding for more than a decade.

Charlecote Park in Warwickshire said it had taken a financial hit because of an enforced nine-day closure.

The estate sits between the rivers Avon and Dene and when both burst their banks after heavy rain it flooded the park grounds and the basement of the historic house on the site.

The National Trust has released images to show the extent of the flooding.

Paul Smith, park and gardens manager at Charlecote Park, Wellesbourne, said: "We expect a certain amount of flooding, but extensive flooding on the scale we've seen this January hasn't happened in more than a decade."

Storm Henk arrived at what the National Trust said was usually its busiest time of the year and it followed a number of previous storms which had waterlogged the grounds.

Pumps had to be used to clear water from the basement of the Victorian house, which is currently closed for planned renovation, and in the surrounding parkland, several fences were destroyed by the strong water currents.

The fallow deer which live on the estate moved to higher ground to escape the floodwaters.

Park ranger, Joy Margerum, said: Fallow deer are good swimmers so our top priority once the water receded was to patch up the broken fence to prevent the deer from escaping."

When the water finally receded, debris had to be cleared from the estate before visitors could safely return and general manager Rebecca Watson said she was "incredibly proud" of her team's efforts.

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