Extreme Flood Events in Upland Catchments in Cumbria since 1600: the evidence of historical records

This paper uses a range of historical sources to identify 34 major floods which affected in upland catchments in Cumbria since the early seventeenth century. Problems, limitations and advantages relating to the sources are discussed. Eighteen of the floods resulted from intense convectional storms, mostly in summer. Sixteen were due to precipitation associated with slow moving or stationery frontal systems. The occurrence of the floods varied over time with concentrations in the late seventeenth century, mid-late eighteenth century, early and late nineteenth century and 1920s-1960s. The distribution matches closely the evidence derived from adjacent areas using radiocarbon dating and lichenometry. The distribution of flood locations identifies some expected concentrations in the central Lake District but also others areas, such as Longsleddale, Dentdale and Stainmore which are less obvious. The use of historical records to pinpoint locations where geomorphological evidence of major floods might be identified is proposed.