River Wyre at Abbeystead

Abbeystead is a small, picturesque village located in the Forest of Bowland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, in Lancashire. The name is derived from "The site of the Abbey" and relates to the short-lived presence of a house of Cistercian monks in the reign of Henry II.
The village is best known as the site of the "Abbeystead Disaster". On 23 May 1984, 44 people were attending a presentation at a valve house at the outfall end of the Lune/Wyre Transfer Scheme in Abbeystead intended to explain the effects of the scheme on winter flooding in the lower Wyre Valley. During the presentation, water was pumped over the weir designed to regulate the flow of water into the River Wyre. When the pumping commenced, however, there was a bright flash followed by an explosion that killed 16 visitors, injured 22 more and severely damaged the valve house.