06/09/2026
50 YEARS AGO THIS MONTH: THE DEVASTATING POLPERRO FLOOD OF 1976
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Here’s another fascinating but tragic piece of Cornwall weather history.
Later this month will mark 50 years since one of the most serious flash floods in Polperro’s recent history.
In September 1976, severe storms and torrential rain caused widespread flooding across Cornwall, affecting communities from Bude and Wadebridge to Penzance, Falmouth, Truro, St Austell, Lostwithiel and Bodmin. But one of the worst-hit places was the little fishing village of Polperro.
Polperro may look picture-postcard peaceful on a sunny day, but its geography makes it particularly vulnerable when an enormous amount of rain falls in a short period.
The village sits at the bottom of a narrow, steep-sided valley, with the River Pol and Langreek Stream running down towards the harbour. During intense rainfall, water can race off the surrounding hillsides and into those watercourses incredibly quickly. There isn't much room for that water to spread out, so river levels can rise frighteningly fast.
And that is exactly what happened in September 1976.
The River Pol and Langreek Stream overwhelmed their channels, and 83 residential and commercial properties were flooded. Historical flood records also show that cars were swept into the river, contributing to blockages in the already overwhelmed drainage system.
Contemporary accounts describe a terrifying wall of water rushing through the village. One historical flood study records reports of a torrent reaching up to around 10 feet deep in places, throwing cars aside as it thundered towards the harbour.
Tragically, an 81-year-old man lost his life during the flood after being swept away by the water.
It must have been an absolutely terrifying experience for everyone in the village. One moment you have heavy rain falling outside; a short time later, streets have effectively become fast-flowing rivers.
There was another ingredient making an already dangerous situation worse.
Polperro is squeezed between the hills and the sea, which means flooding can potentially arrive from both directions. Heavy rainfall sends water rushing downhill towards the harbour, while high tides, storm surges and strong southerly or southeasterly winds can raise sea levels at the bottom of the village and make it harder for floodwater to escape.
And 1976 wasn't Polperro's first encounter with violent weather.
Historic England records major storm damage to the harbour in 1774, 1817 and 1824. The January 1817 storm caused such severe damage that parts of the harbour had to be rebuilt, while another tremendous storm in 1824 caused further destruction.
Then came another major reminder in December 1993.
After prolonged wet weather had left the ground saturated, torrential rain again sent the River Pol over its banks. Contemporary reports described floodwater reaching around seven feet deep, with vehicles being swept through the village. Environment Agency records indicate 99 residential and commercial properties were flooded during that event.
Those disasters eventually led to some serious engineering.
In 1997, a major flood protection scheme was completed at Polperro. One of its most impressive features is something most visitors probably don't even realise: there is a roughly one-kilometre flood diversion tunnel.
When flows become too high in the River Pol and Langreek Stream, excess water can be diverted from near the top of the village through the tunnel and discharged directly towards the coast, effectively bypassing the narrow streets below.
There are also trash screens designed to stop debris entering critical parts of the system, remotely monitored river-level gauges, and flood protection around the harbour.
The harbour tide gate was refurbished in 2019, while work to improve the Prince of Wales Pier, another important part of Polperro's protection from the sea, was completed more recently. The current shoreline management plan aims to maintain the village's standard of flood protection, although authorities acknowledge that some risk from storm surges will always remain.
So next time you're wandering down through beautiful Polperro with an ice cream in one hand and wondering whether your legs will forgive you for the walk back up to the car park, spare a thought for what's underneath and around you.
Behind that postcard-perfect harbour is a village that has lived with the power of rivers, rainfall and the sea for centuries.
And the floods of September 1976 remain a sobering example of why we take flash-flood forecasts so seriously here at KWT. A stream that looks almost harmless on an ordinary day can become something completely different when intense rainfall falls over a small, steep catchment.
There is even surviving television footage of the aftermath from September 1976 in the South West Film & Television Archive, preserved by the BFI, an extraordinary piece of Cornwall's weather history.
Does anyone following KWT remember the Polperro floods of 1976, or perhaps the flooding in 1993? We'd really like to hear your memories, and if anyone has photographs from either event, we'd love to see them.
Kind regards,
KWT Dave
