FARNHAM’S precious water meadows did their job to great effect this week – absorbing excess water from the River Wey and protecting the town from catastrophe.

A video by aerial photographer Allan Arthurs reveals the extent of the flooding in both the meadow’s south west of the Coxbridge roundabout and at Bishop’s Meadow west of the town centre.

Once threatened by development, Herald proprietor Sir Ray Tindle stepped in to purchase Bishop’s Meadow in 2010 to allow the newly-formed Bishops Meadow Trust time to raise the money for the town to buy the land.

Thanks to the work of the trust, the meadow remains one of the few remaining water meadows in this part of Britain, providing a haven for wildlife and rare flora, not to mention an important natural flood defence.

The long-standing man-made flood defences at Gostrey Meadow were also put to good use this week, as the swollen River Wey snaked its way through Farnham town centre.

Historically, parts of the built-up area of Farnham close to the River Wey were subject to flooding. But after a catastrophic flood in September 1968, work was set in hand to install a two stage relief system along the river. Completed in 1971 this can be clearly seen in Gostrey Meadow and Borelli Walk and has successfully protected the town ever since.