Does Great Barford flood?

What the Environment Agency's rivers-and-sea flood-risk data says about Great Barford

Ordnance Survey places 22 postcodes in Great Barford 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 245 properties in the EA dataset's likelihood bands.

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.

Rivers and live river levels near Great Barford

Environment Agency gauges within 10 km of Great Barford watch River Ivel, River Great Ouse.

• Blunham
  River Ivel · 2.8 km away 0.20 mASD
  normal range · steady · 32 min ago
• Roxton
  River Great Ouse · 3.0 km away 0.30 mASD
  normal range · steady · 32 min ago
• Castle Mill
  River Great Ouse · 3.9 km away 0.15 mASD
  below normal · steady · 32 min ago
• Cardington
  River Great Ouse · 6.3 km away No recent reading
  last reported 11 Sep 2026 09:00
• Eaton Socon
  River Great Ouse · 7.8 km away No recent reading
  last reported 11 Sep 2026 01:00
• Bedford
  River Great Ouse · 7.9 km away 0.28 mASD
  normal range · steady · 47 min ago
• Biggleswade
  River Ivel · 9.8 km away 0.14 mASD
  normal range · steady · 32 min ago

Distances are from the middle of Great Barford's at-risk postcodes. Tidal and structure gauges are shown as readings only — the tide and sluice gates move them, not floods. A gauge with no recent reading shows no level.

Flood warning areas near Great Barford

13 Environment Agency flood warning areas lie within 10 km of Great Barford. The EA has issued 69 flood warnings and alerts for them since 2006, most recently on 16 Feb 2026.

• Meadow Lane at Cardington, Water Lane at Renhold, Old Mills Cottage and New Road at Great Barford, Church Street and Ford Lane at Tempsford, and Great North Road between Roxton and Tempsford
  2 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Jan 2021 0.8 km
• St Neots Road and Water Lane at Renhold, High Street, School Lane, Orchard Way and Churchgate at Great Barford, and Church Street at Tempsford
  1 warning or alert since 2006, latest Dec 2020 0.8 km
• The Ridgeway, Wellsfield, High Street, Tempsford Road and Grange Road in Blunham and Mill Lane in Tempsford
  2 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Sep 2024 2.7 km
• New Road, Bedford Road, Girtford Bridge, Great North Road, Rivermead Gardens, McMurdo Court, Church Path, London Road, Poplar Close, Sandford Rise, Braybrook, Western Way and Nursery Drive in Sandy
  2 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Sep 2024 4.4 km
• Marina Court, the brewery on Havelock Street, St Paul's Square, Duckmill Lane, Longholme Boating Lake, Priory Marina, the hotel and girls school on Cardington Road and Castle Mill
  9 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Nov 2024 6.0 km
• High Road in Seddington and The Green, The Cloches, The Knolls, Meadow Close, Lime Avenue, Ash Close and Elder Close in Beeston 6.8 km
• Wyboston Lakes, School Lane in Eaton Socon, Hardwick Road and Springbrook in Eynesbury, The Paddock and Crosshall Road in Eaton Ford and River Terrace, Priory Lane, Chandlers Wharf, Brook Street, Church Street and Browns Square in St Neots
  9 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Feb 2026 7.0 km
• Paddlers Court, Woodstock Road, Nelson Street, Cauldwell Walk, Palgrave Road, Sovereigns Quay, Commercial Road, Riverside Square, River Street, Greyfriars, Nicholls Road, Cardington Road, Goodmayes Close, Tennyson Road, Chapel Close and Bury Walk
  2 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Dec 2020 7.5 km
• River Great Ouse from Sharnbrook to Roxton, including Sharn Brook, Gadsey Brook, and with Longholme Boatlake possibly being inaccessible
  6 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Feb 2026 7.8 km
• Palgrave Road, Cauldwell Street, Holme Street Holt Row, Melbourne Street, Heron Quay, Riverside Square, Kingsway, St John's Street, Rays Close, Duckmill Lane, Chethams, Cardington Road, Kingsbrook Road, Lindisfarne Priory and Castle Mill Cottage
  2 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Sep 2024 8.1 km
• River Ivel from Langford to Blunham, including the rivers Purwell, Hiz, Flit and Hit
  32 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Feb 2026 9.2 km
• Biggleswade Rugby & Squash Club, Holme Mills, Albone Way, Riverside Court, Biggleswade Golf Driving Range and Bells Brook in Biggleswade and Great North Road in Lower Caldecotte 9.4 km

Recorded floods near Great Barford

Floods whose mapped extent (EA Recorded Flood Outlines) reached within ~5 km of Great Barford, most recent first. Absence of a record does not mean a place has never flooded. See them on the map →

• 1 Jan 2003 — January 2003
• 1 Jan 1998 — Easter 1998
• 1 Jan 1993 — October 1993
• 1 Jan 1987 — October 1987
• 14 Mar 1947 — March 1947
• 1 Jan 1947 — March 1947

Rainfall near Great Barford

The nearest rain gauge, Rainfall station (5.4 km away), recorded 0.2 mm in the last 24 hours and 7.8 mm in the last 7 days (latest reading 47 min ago).

At-risk postcodes in Great Barford

Every postcode Ordnance Survey places in Great Barford that appears in the EA's rivers-and-sea dataset, worst band first. Each links to its own flood-risk page.

High likelihood (5)

Low likelihood (7)

Very low likelihood (10)

Postcode districts

Sources

FloodRadar summarises public flood data. It is not a flood-risk survey of any property, and it does not replace official GOV.UK flood warnings or the GOV.UK long-term flood risk service.