The Clough Head Flood

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On Thursday 14th July 1955, a Norland farmer had a lucky escape when he lost control of his tractor whilst haymaking in the fields above Pickwood Scar. Eric Douglas, of Lower Fold Farm, had to be hospitalised at Halifax General Hospital, where his condition was said to be satisfactory. It could have been far worse; he was in the trailer when the tractor and trailer began to roll down the steep field. Mr Douglas was "catapulted out" when the tractor hit the wall, continued across Pickwood Lane and plunged another 30 feet down onto Green Hind Lane (sic) - (Hollas Lane at Greenhead). The tractor was wrecked.

"A driverless car ran down the steep Fall Lane, Norland, last night, and overturned at the bottom. The incident happened at 9.35 pm. Sydney Dickerson (24), labourer, 8 Pickwood Scar, Norland, was in a saloon car in Fall Lane, which has a one-in-five gradient, when the engine stalled. He got out of the car and started to turn the vehicle round but it ran away. On the way down, the offside of the car scraped against a wall. The car overturned at the bottom of the hill in Mearclough Road, Sowerby Bridge."  HXEC 15th August 1957

"Last Thursday a poor woman was struck dead by a flash of lightning, as she sat near her own fireside at Norland, near Halifax. Several of her children stood round her when the accident happened, none of whom received the least harm."  Leeds Intelligencer 5/9/1775

"On Wednesday last, one Elias Holdsworth of Norland, near Halifax, was unfortunately drowned as he was bathing in the river near that place."

Leeds Intelligencer 28/6/1768

"There was a nasty acident last night at Norland, and as a result Mr and Mrs James Lumb, of Gold House, Norland, are in Halifax Infirmary. At 8.30 pm Mr Lumb, who is the caretaker for the Ryburn Golf Club, was returning home, driving  a motor cycle combination with his wife (Frances) in the side car. After rounding the War Memorial it is presumed that his side car wheel struck the kerb. The machine skidded across the road, crashed into the wall and overturned. Several yards of masonry were knocked down, and he and Mrs Lumb were pinned fast under the car. They were found by local residents and rescued from their unfortunate position. Drs Duguid and McKelvey were called up from Sowerby Bridge. After being medically attended on the spot, the couple were conveyed to the Infirmary by Counc. F E Longbottom, Pickwood House, in his private car. Mrs Lumb was reported this morning to be rather poorly. She is suffering from facial injuries and shock. Mr Lumb has had a fair night. He is suffering from slight concussion and it is feared there is a fracture of the front of the skull."   (HXEC 03/09/1929) The Lumbs stopped working at the Golf Club that year - was that because of the accident? (See Nobbut Norland section for the history of Ryburn Golf Club. Photo taken with permission from "Ryburn Golf Club Centenery 1910-2010" by Richard Barrow)

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