When the sun went down over the picturesque and romantic valley of the Holme on the night of the 4^th of February, 1852, a scene of comparative stillness and tenanted the deep valley and craggy acclivities around. 

Heavy rains had prevailed for some days in the district. 

On this one day there had been a long and steady downpour, but before nightfall the rain-clouds had moved away, and although the swollen waters came tumbling down the stream with somewhat unusual force from the mountainous range of hills and bleak stretches of moorland above, a certain calmness seemed to follow the cessation of the rain, and when the moon rose over the rugged landscape, a soothing influence took possession of the hearts of the people, and as they betook themselves to their homes, after the labours of the day were over, they little thought of the impending disaster which was to disturb their hours of rest. 

As the night advanced, the lights began to disappear one by one from cottage windows on the hillsides, and long before midnight the village of Holmfirth and the struggling hamlets by which it is surrounded were wrapt in slumber. 

Could these sleeping villagers have made visible to them at that solemn hour the gathering wrath of waters upon which the moors then looked down at the head of the Holme Valley, their slumbers would have been broken with cries of horror, and a thousand lights would have burst upon the night. 

But they slept on unconscious of the fact that by the neglect of those whose duty it was to protect them from harm was now about to culminate a disaster which would stir all England with the deepest sorrow.

As the wind and water beat upon the embankment, and the latter was washed over, a considerable portion of the outer embankment was swept away. 

Large fissures were immediately made down the grass-covered sides of the embankment, tons of loose earth and rubbish being carried away. 

It was now too late for those on the heights to give the alarm to their more unfortunate neighbours who were quietly sleeping in the valley below.