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Ashton-in-Makerfield Flooding

Greater Manchester • Live river level monitoring on Millingford Brook
2 monitoring stations
1 river
8 warning areas
🏠 Thinking of buying in Ashton-in-Makerfield? Get the detailed Property Flood-Risk Report for any Ashton-in-Makerfield postcode — official risk band, recorded floods since 1703, warning history, river behaviour and nearby storm overflows. £19 one-off, instant. Learn more →

Does Ashton-in-Makerfield flood? 36 postcodes in Ashton-in-Makerfield are in the Environment Agency's rivers-and-sea flood-risk data (19 High, 3 Medium likelihood) — the breakdown is further down this page.

Flood risk in Ashton-in-Makerfield today: Normal

No official flood warning is active nearby and the closest river stations are within normal ranges.

Updated 2026-10-10 12:33:37 UTC · Official GOV.UK warnings · Flood preparation & help guide

About Ashton-in-Makerfield
Ashton-in-Makerfield
Town in Greater Manchester, England

Ashton-in-Makerfield is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, Greater Manchester, England, 4 miles (6.4 km) south of Wigan. As of the 2021 census, there was a population of 26,380.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Flood Contacts
Floodline 24hr
0345 988 1188
Emergency
999
The map of Ashton-in-Makerfield’s gauges and flood maps loads as you reach it.

Does Ashton-in-Makerfield flood?

Ordnance Survey places 36 postcodes in Ashton-in-Makerfield in the Environment Agency's rivers-and-sea flood-risk dataset (Risk of Flooding from Rivers and Sea). Each postcode is counted once, under the worst band any of its properties reaches; together they hold 236 properties in the EA dataset's likelihood bands.

EA likelihood bandPostcodes (worst band)Properties in the EA datasetof which homes
High199338
Medium32523
Low14118103
Very low000
All bands36236164

This dataset covers flooding from rivers and the sea only — one of five flood sources. Surface water, groundwater, sewers and reservoirs are assessed separately, so a postcode missing from it is not proof that a place cannot flood. The band describes the land around properties (allowing for defences), not any single address and not today's conditions.

The 36 at-risk postcodes in Ashton-in-Makerfield, worst band first

High likelihood (19)

Medium likelihood (3)

Low likelihood (14)

Postcode districts

Places nearby with a page of their own

Golborne · Ince-in-Makerfield · Leigh · St Helens · Higher Folds

Flood-risk bands: © Environment Agency copyright and/or database right 2025. All rights reserved. Some features of this map are based on digital spatial data from the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, © NERC (CEH). © Crown Copyright and Database Rights 2025 OS AC0000807064. This product is produced in part from PAF® and Multiple Residence Data, the copyright in which is owned by Royal Mail Group Limited and/or Royal Mail Group plc. All rights reserved. Licence number AC0000807064.

Place names: Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database rights 2026. Contains Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right 2026. Contains National Statistics data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

All data sources & licences

The watercourse nearest Ashton-in-Makerfield

The nearest watercourse on the river map is Millingford Brook, about 20 m from the middle of Ashton-in-Makerfield's gauges. It flows into Newton Brook about 6.4 km downstream.

A gauge downstream shows water that has already passed this point; one upstream sees it first. Distances along the river are from the point on Millingford Brook nearest the middle of Ashton-in-Makerfield's gauges. From Ordnance Survey’s river map (OS Open Rivers), which leaves out small streams, ditches and culverts, so a nearer one may exist. This describes where water goes on the map; it says nothing about flooding at any address. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database rights 2026.

Useful Links
Flood Monitoring in Ashton-in-Makerfield

Ashton-in-Makerfield is monitored by 2 Environment Agency river level stations on the Millingford Brook, in Greater Manchester. Water levels are updated every 15 minutes, providing real-time flood monitoring for the area.

Monitoring Stations

The Millingford Brook is monitored by 2 stations (Ivy Street, Ashton-In-Makerfield, Lincoln Drive). Each station records water levels continuously, with data synced to FloodRadar every 5 minutes.

Flood Warning Areas

There are 8 Environment Agency flood warning areas within 10km of Ashton-in-Makerfield. When the EA issues a flood warning for any of these areas, it will appear on this page. These include: Properties around Wigan Road and Princess Road between the Library and Mill Street. Also properties on Old Road, King George Close, Gerrard Street, Monmouth Crescent, on and adjacent to Lincoln Drive and near Jack Brook on Bowland Avenue and Jubilee Park; Properties at Platt Bridge on and around Platt Lane including Templeton Road, Walthew Lane, Aspinall Street and Gas Street. Also, properties on Keats Way at Abram; The Sankey catchment includes Black, Barkers, Windle and Whittle Brooks and their tributaries. Other locations which may be affected are around Rainford, Billinge, Prescot, Newton-le-Willows, Haydock, Ashton-in-Makerfield and Golbourne; Properties on Blackbrook Road and West End Road.

Sewage Discharge Monitoring

There are 34 storm overflows within 5km of Ashton-in-Makerfield. None of the 33 with a reporting monitor are currently discharging (1 has no live status right now). Enable "Sewage" on the map above to see their locations.

6 of them, nearest first, with their own page of live status and past discharges:

What To Do During A Flood

If flooding is forecast in Ashton-in-Makerfield, call Floodline on 0345 988 1188 for the latest information. Move valuables upstairs, turn off gas and electricity if safe to do so, and avoid walking or driving through flood water. Sign up for flood warnings on any station page above to receive email alerts when water levels rise. For emergency numbers, a preparation checklist and insurance guidance, see our flood help & preparation guide.

How much rain falls on Ashton-in-Makerfield

Ashton-in-Makerfield gets about 934 mm of rain a year on average (wettest month December, 97 mm; driest April, 56 mm). That is 20% drier than the UK as a whole, which averages 1,163 mm a year. See the rain gauges →

A thirty-year average for the area, not a forecast and not a flood risk on its own. Source: Met Office HadUK-Grid 1991–2020 (5 km grid), 1.7 km away. Average rainfall: HadUK-Grid v1.3.2, Met Office. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Recorded floods near Ashton-in-Makerfield

Floods whose mapped extent (EA Recorded Flood Outlines) reached within ~5 km of the town centre — most recent first. These are records of mapped extents, not a full list of floods. See them on the map →

  • 2024-12-31 — Wigan Ashton in Makerfield - NYE/NYD 25 (Main river)
  • 2024-12-31 — Wigan Ashton in Makerfield - NYE/NYD 25 (Main river)
  • 2024-12-31 — Wigan Ashton in Makerfield - NYE/NYD 25 (Drainage)
  • 2024-12-31 — Wigan Ashton in Makerfield - NYE/NYD 25 (Main river)
  • 2024-12-31 — Wigan Ashton in Makerfield - NYE/NYD 25
  • 2024-12-31 — Wigan Ashton in Makerfield - NYE/NYD 25
  • 2024-12-31 — Wigan Ashton in Makerfield - NYE/NYD 25
  • 2024-12-31 — Wigan Ashton in Makerfield - NYE/NYD 25
  • 2024-12-31 — Wigan Ashton in Makerfield - NYE/NYD 25 (Drainage)
  • 2024-12-31 — Wigan Ashton in Makerfield - NYE/NYD 25 (Drainage)
  • 2024-12-31 — Wigan Ashton in Makerfield - NYE/NYD 25
  • 2024-12-31 — Wigan Ashton in Makerfield - NYE/NYD 25 (Main river)

Records, not floods: no outline on the record is not evidence a place has not flooded.

Frequently asked questions

Is there flooding in Ashton-in-Makerfield today?

Current verdict: Normal. No official flood warning is active nearby and the closest river stations are within normal ranges.

Which rivers affect Ashton-in-Makerfield?

Ashton-in-Makerfield has river level monitoring on Millingford Brook — 2 monitoring stations in total.

How do I check official flood warnings for Ashton-in-Makerfield?

Use the GOV.UK Check for Flooding service (check-for-flooding.service.gov.uk) or call Floodline on 0345 988 1188 (24 hours). You can also set up free FloodRadar email or browser alerts from any station page above.

What should I do during a flood warning?

Follow official advice: move valuables and vehicles to safety, never walk or drive through flood water, turn off gas and electricity if safe, and check on vulnerable neighbours. See our flood preparation guide at floodradar.co.uk/flood-help.

Has Ashton-in-Makerfield flooded before?

Yes — the Environment Agency's Recorded Flood Outlines dataset shows 23 recorded flood extents around the town centre since 1703, most recently in 2024. That is a count of mapped extents, not of separate floods. Records, not floods: no outline on the record is not evidence a place has not flooded. See the flood history link below.

🏠 Buying or renting around here? Get the Property Flood-Risk Report for any English postcode — official risk band, recorded floods, warning history, river behaviour and nearby storm overflows. £19 one-off. Learn more →