Friary Street After The Flood – Still Counting The Cost

Published on: 10 Jan, 2014
Updated on: 15 Jan, 2014

Shops on Friary Street are still counting the cost of the recent floods, several remain closed. Just yards from the Town Bridge, the street has always been the worst hit of Guildford’s commercial area when the River Wey floods.

All together the losses, flood damage and lost trading, will amount to many thousands of pounds.

The Environment Agency Barrier is said to have worked well in Norfolk where it was deployed before being set up between Debenhams and the Town Bridge.

Whether the barrier erected by the Environment Agency on Tuesday (January 7), under the gaze of national TV, would have helped protect Friary is still not known. The river receded after the barrier was put up and by Thursday morning it had gone.

Wagamama on the corner of Friary Street has suffered serious damage to its floor and was deserted on Wednesday evening (January 8) when these photos of other shops in Friary Street were taken:

The manager in Whibley's the jewellers said: "We had to close from Boxing Day to the 4th January. We had two foot of water in here and it damaged some of our stock such as watches as well as fixtures and fittings.

The manager in Whibleys the Jewellers said: “We had to close from Boxing Day to the 4th January. We had two feet of water in here and it damaged some of our stock, such as watches, as well as fixtures and fittings.”

Cameron Tait from Woodbridge Road, an assistant in Solutions Inc said: “We have taken a real hit. We were closed on 27th to 30th December when busy trading was expected. As you can see the floor has had to be taken up and the wood in some of the display units has swollen with the water causing them to split. We hope to be fully back to normal by February but we are trading normally in the meantime.”

In Lush the assistant manager pointed at the level the water had reached in the shop and said: “On Christmas Eve the water came in and rose to about 11 inches. Luckily our floor is quite resistant to flood damage but we have suffered thousands of pounds of stock damage. We had to shut on Boxing Day while we cleaned up.”

The project manager at... said that several days work had been lost because of the flood but he was re-arranging the project sequence so that, hopefully, the new burger bar could still open on Febrauary 9.

The project manager at Five Guys said that several days work had been lost because of the flood but he was re-arranging the shop fitting project sequence so that, hopefully, the new burger bar could still open on February 9.

Specsavers wre closed from December 27 to New Year's Eve. The equipment the use for conducting eye tests is still inoperable so although the shop is manned it is only to allow customers to collect spectacles that have been ordered.

Specsavers were closed from December 27 to New Year’s Eve. The equipment they use for conducting eye tests is still inoperable so although the shop is manned it is only to allow customers to collect spectacles that have been ordered.

In the T Shirt Store Elyse, originally from Denver, Colorado but who now lives in Godalming, said that the shop had been fortunate: “Our concrete floor was unaffected and although the water came in, it drained from front to back, then straight through the door at the rear of the shop. We have not had to close at all.”

The Gourmet Burger Bar were able to stay open by using the first floor. Themanager said: "Ironically we suffered a foood six months ago when a freezer failed. We had to carry out a refit after that but now the wooden part of the floor is damaged once again."

The Gourmet Burger Bar were able to stay open by using the first floor. The manager said: “Ironically we suffered a flood six months ago when a freezer failed. We had to carry out a refit after that but now the wooden part of the floor is damaged once again.”

TK Max at the slightly higher north end of Friary Street remained unaffected, despite the worrying site of sandbags positioned near there front door. But Shoe Zone and Junior Cupcakes, both nearer the High Street end, remained closed.

TK max, at the slightly higher north end of Friary Street, remained unaffected, despite the worrying sight of sandbags positioned near their front door. But Shoe Zone and Junior Cupcakes, both nearer the High Street end, remained closed.

On Tuesday White Lion Walk had to close when the the delivery basement, pictured here, flooded affecting the drainage of the centre. It reopened on Wednesday and has been trading normally since.

On Tuesday (January 7) White Lion Walk had to close when the the delivery basement, pictured here, flooded affecting the drainage of the centre. It reopened on Wednesday and has been trading normally since.