Suffolk floods: Pubs in Southwold and Snape count the cost

The extent of the flood around the River Blyth was captured on Saturday by aerial photographer Mike Page.

The River Alde flooded land between Aldeburgh and inland up to Snape.

Further down the Suffolk coast, the hamlet of Shingle Street at the mouth of the River Ore was surrounded by water.

The beach between Dunwich and Walberswick was breached, flooding Dingle Marshes.

Covehithe is an area of the Suffolk coast which has been left to erode and create larger salt marshes.

Pubs on Suffolk's flooded rivers have had to cancel or move Christmas dinners following last week's high tides.

The B1069 remained closed at Snape where The Crown was not expecting to be able to reopen for a couple of weeks.

The pub said it had lost £2,000 worth of beer which had had to be condemned because the barrels had been covered by flood water.

The flooded Harbour Inn on the River Blyth at Southwold said it would not reopen until Wednesday at the earliest.

The Crown had 3ft (1m) of water in its kitchen and, while 40 turkeys drowned in their barn, they had moved their pigs and sheep elsewhere.

The pub has cleared its Christmas meal bookings diary until 22 December.

The darker area on The Crown's brickwork (left) showed the height of the flood

Draining problem

Landlady Theresa Cook said: "We put straw bales in the turkey barn thinking the birds would climb on to them, but unfortunately the water was still too high.

"We can get new carpets and we've sourced new electrical equipment, so it's a case of sorting the insurance and then we're hoping to get back in before Christmas."

The Environment Agency said two pumps were working to drain flood water back into the River Alde, and it estimated the B1069 would reopen by Friday.

Staff at the Harbour Inn on the north bank of the River Blyth moved its contents out before it was flooded by about 5ft (1.5m) of water.

Nick Attfield, landlord, said: "The river wall breached on the south bank opposite us flooding the Walberswick side, which saved us from worse on the Southwold side.

"If it hadn't, I think it could have have a worse effect than in 1953, but the water's maximum height was about a foot lower.

"The main cost is the loss of trade - we can still get insurance, but it's expensive and we have big excesses."

Mr Attfield said they had so far been able to move existing Christmas bookings to their other pub in Walberswick.

He was waiting for the outcome of electrical and environmental checks, but was confident he could reopen the pub by Wednesday.