A collection of newspaper cuttings dated 4 June 1956 records an extraordinary whirlwind near Spaldwick. The violent but highly localised storm caused serious damage near West Lodge, about a mile west of the village.
Witnesses described a funnel-shaped cloud accompanied by a roaring or swishing noise. The reports say that cottages were badly damaged, a large tree was uprooted and a wooden farm building was blown from its foundations. Most remarkably, a three-ton cattle lorry was reportedly lifted from the road and dropped into a ditch. Despite the destruction, nobody appears to have been seriously injured.
The surviving pieces appear to come from the Citizen and Advertiser and include the headlines “Tornado Havoc in Hunts Village,” “Whirling Cloud Wrecks Homes” and “Waterspout Struck Spaldwick.” They have subsequently been cut out and assembled together, so the original newspaper layout is no longer visible.
The collection is annotated 4/6/56, which is believed to be its publication date. The reports describe the whirlwind as occurring on a Tuesday, although its precise date has not yet been confirmed.
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