Does Kidlington flood?
What the Environment Agency's rivers-and-sea flood-risk data says about Kidlington
Ordnance Survey places 27 postcodes in Kidlington 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 321 properties in the EA dataset's likelihood bands.
| EA likelihood band | Postcodes (worst band) | Properties in the EA dataset | of which homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| High | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Medium | 3 | 10 | 9 |
| Low | 16 | 180 | 166 |
| Very low | 7 | 127 | 119 |
| All bands | 27 | 321 | 298 |
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 Kidlington
Environment Agency gauges within 10 km of Kidlington watch River Cherwell, River Ray, River Thames, River Evenlode, River Glyme, Seacourt Stream, Bulstake Stream.
-
Thrupp
River Cherwell · 2.3 km away 1.00 m
normal range · 31 min ago -
Islip
River Ray · 3.0 km away 6.41 m
below normal · 31 min ago -
Kings Lock Structure
River Thames · 3.8 km away 0.13 m
controlled by a sluice or weir · 31 min ago -
Enslow Weir A Structure
River Cherwell · 4.6 km away 0.28 m
controlled by a sluice or weir · 31 min ago -
Godstow Lock Structure
River Thames · 5.0 km away 0.17 m
controlled by a sluice or weir · 31 min ago -
Cassington Weir A Structure
River Evenlode · 6.0 km away No recent reading
last reported 26 Oct 2026 07:45 -
Cassington Weir B Structure
River Evenlode · 6.0 km away 0.22 m
controlled by a sluice or weir · 31 min ago -
Woodstock Structure
River Glyme · 6.8 km away 0.05 m
controlled by a sluice or weir · 46 min ago -
Eynsham Lock Structure
River Thames · 7.1 km away 0.12 m
controlled by a sluice or weir · 31 min ago -
Minns Estate
Seacourt Stream · 7.6 km away 1.26 m
normal range · 31 min ago -
New Botley
Bulstake Stream · 7.6 km away 0.96 m
normal range · rising · 31 min ago -
Kings Mill Structure
River Cherwell · 7.9 km away No recent reading
Distances are from the middle of Kidlington'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.
The watercourse nearest Kidlington
Two mapped watercourses are about the same distance from the middle of Kidlington's at-risk postcodes: the River Cherwell (about 860 m) and Rowel Brook (about 920 m), so this page cannot say which one is nearer to you.
- The River CherwellFlows into the River Thames about 15 km downstream; next gauge downstream Kings Mill, about 13 km along the river.
- Rowel BrookNothing more on the river map.
Distances along the river are from the point on each watercourse nearest the middle of Kidlington's at-risk postcodes. 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.
Flood warning areas near Kidlington
15 Environment Agency flood warning areas lie within 10 km of Kidlington. The EA has issued 299 flood warnings and alerts for them since 2006, most recently on 7 Mar 2026.
-
Area of Kidlington benefiting from the Flood Alleviation Scheme, including parts of Mill Street, Watermead, Cherwell Avenue, Queens Avenue, Edinburgh Drive, Springfield Road, Waverley Avenue, Lovelace Drive and Kings Way Drive in Kidlington
1 warning or alert since 2006, latest Nov 2024 0.8 km -
River Cherwell and its tributaries from Lower Heyford down to Oxford including Rousham, Enslow, Thrupp, Hampton Poyle and East Kidlington
80 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Mar 2026 1.5 km -
River Cherwell from Lower Heyford down to Cherwell Bridge including Rousham, Enslow, Thrupp and Hampton Poyle
11 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Nov 2024 2.1 km -
River Ray for Islip
17 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Feb 2026 3.8 km -
River Thames and tributaries at Wolvercote in Oxford
6 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Jan 2024 4.5 km -
River Evenlode at Eynsham Mill down to and including Cassington Mill near Cassington
2 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Nov 2024 6.2 km -
River Glyme at Woodstock, from Glympton including Wootton down to and including The Lince near Bladon
no warning on record since 2006 6.4 km -
River Cherwell at Oxford from Cherwell Bridge to the Thames confluence north of New Hinksey, including parts of Summertown, New Marston and Magdalen Bridge areas
7 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Nov 2024 6.6 km -
River Thames and tributaries in the Binsey, Osney and Osney Island areas in Oxford
6 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Jan 2024 6.7 km -
Wendlebury village on the Wendlebury Brook, South East of the A41 to the confluence with the Langford Brook
5 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Nov 2024 8.6 km -
River Thames and tributaries in the Oxford area, including areas between Wolvercote down to and including Radley and Jericho
72 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Mar 2026 8.9 km -
River Thames and tributaries at New Botley, New Hinksey, North Hinksey, South Hinksey and Grandpont in Oxford
10 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Nov 2024 9.2 km
Recorded floods near Kidlington
Floods whose mapped extent (EA Recorded Flood Outlines) reached within ~5 km of Kidlington, most recent first. Records, not floods: no outline on the record is not evidence a place has not flooded. See them on the map →
- 23 Nov 2013 — Winter 2013/2014 Other
- 12 Jan 2008 — Islip CP_Fluival Water Main river
- 12 Jan 2008 — Islip CP_Fluvial Water Main river
- 12 Jan 2008 — Oxford_Fluvial Water Main river
- 12 Jan 2008 — Kidlington CP_Fluvial Water Main river
- 19 Jul 2007 — Wytham CP_Fluvial Flood Main river
- 19 Jul 2007 — Wytham CP_Fluvial Water Main river
- 19 Jul 2007 — Cassington CP_Fluvial Water Main river
- 19 Jul 2007 — Oxford_Fluvial Water Main river
- 19 Jul 2007 — Gosford and Water Eaton CP_Fluvial Water Main river
- 19 Jul 2007 — Bletchingdon CP_Fluvial Water Main river
- 19 Jul 2007 — Kidlington CP_Fluvial Water Main river
…and 9 earlier recorded floods on the map.
Rainfall near Kidlington
Kidlington gets about 676 mm of rain a year on average (wettest month October, 70 mm; driest March, 43 mm). That is 42% drier than the UK as a whole, which averages 1,163 mm a year. Source: Met Office HadUK-Grid 1991–2020 (5 km grid), 2.2 km from the place centre.
The nearest rain gauge, Rainfall station (7.1 km away), recorded 6.3 mm in the last 24 hours and 69.2 mm in the last 7 days (latest reading 31 min ago).
At-risk postcodes in Kidlington
Every postcode Ordnance Survey places in Kidlington that appears in the EA's rivers-and-sea dataset, worst band first. Each links to its own flood-risk page.
High likelihood (1)
Medium likelihood (3)
Low likelihood (16)
Very low likelihood (7)
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.
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.
Recorded Flood Outlines, flood warning areas and warning history © Environment Agency copyright and/or database right 2025. Licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
River levels and rainfall: Environment Agency real-time flood-monitoring data, updated every 15 minutes (Open Government Licence v3.0).
Average rainfall: HadUK-Grid v1.3.2, Met Office. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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.