The top left photograph is looking at a set of  medieval steps (behind the tree!). These were built 700 years ago to elevate buildings to avoid the floodwaters, as they did not have the 'technology' to manage the flow of the river. The top right shows cottages built in Tewkesbury during the 1700s, elevated above the flood risk zone. Left - shows a earth levees and elevated modern buildings on the bank of the River Severn. Tewkesbury floods of July 2007 were as a result of saturated soils, prolonged rainfall, peak flows in both the River Severn and the River Avon,  combining with the high tide moving upstream from the Bristol Channel.