Shrewsbury cafe on edge of flooded River Severn reopens as water level drops
A cafe in a highly flood prone spot has finally re-opened after the invading River Severn dropped enough this week for customers to be welcomed back.
The Weir Cafe, in Sydney Avenue, Shrewsbury, has an idyllic setting in the warmer months as people flock to see the river waters and have an ice cream by the banks of England's longest river.
Owner Emily Mainwaring is well aware of the risks of having a business on what is becoming a most precarious position. She used to work there as a member of staff before seeing an opportunity to take over.
"It is the most beautiful place in the summer," said Emily, who opened in February. "And this is the pay off. But the weir is a very special place."
October is normally also the time that people flock to the riverside to see the salmon leaping over the tumbling waters. But this year Emily fears that this has been lost as a feature of the year.
Emily was able to keep her many Facebook followers up to date with the progress of the water by using stills from a door bell camera.
She has flower tubs evenly spaced outside on the venue's path and told people when the water had reached another one as it crept up towards the cafe.
"We know we are in trouble when it reaches the fourth tub," she said. But it did not get that far. A clean up operation was started on Tuesday.
By Wednesday, Emily was able to re-open the cafe for eager customers after the water dropped back in Sydney Avenue. The river towpath was still closed but people were able to make the trip via the local side streets to get to the weir.
The cafe ground is also home to a menagerie of animals, including turkeys - not for Christmas - two popular goats, chickens, ducks and geese.
People were so concerned about the animals that they contacted Emily in numbers but she was able to ensure them of their safety. They can make their way to higher ground at the back of the cafe and they are used to it.
Emily says that the cafe will be closing for the summer months, definitely in December, January and February, but until then she intends to stay open, unless Mother Nature decides to scupper those plans once more.
