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Malmesbury Flooding

Wiltshire • Live river level monitoring on Sherston Avon
1 monitoring station
1 river
7 warning areas
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Does Malmesbury flood? 26 postcodes in Malmesbury are in the Environment Agency's rivers-and-sea flood-risk data (9 High, 4 Medium likelihood) — the breakdown is further down this page.

Flood risk in Malmesbury today: Normal

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

Updated 2026-10-09 18:46:20 UTC · Official GOV.UK warnings · Flood preparation & help guide

About Malmesbury
Malmesbury
Town in Wiltshire, England

Malmesbury is a town and civil parish in north Wiltshire, England, which lies approximately 14 miles (23 km) west of Swindon, 25 miles (40 km) northeast of Bristol, 9 miles (14 km) north of Chippenham and 5 miles south of Tetbury. The older part of the town is on a hilltop which is almost surrounded by the upper waters of the Bristol Avon and one of its tributaries.

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 Malmesbury’s gauges and flood maps loads as you reach it.
Recent Flood Events
15 Apr 2026 10:08 Flood Alert
Groundwater flooding in the Salisbury Plain area
7 Apr 2026 11:09 Flood Alert
Groundwater flooding in villages surrounding Andover
6 Apr 2026 12:15 Flood Alert
Groundwater flooding in the Salisbury Plain area
3 Apr 2026 10:57 Flood Warning
Groundwater flooding in the Bourne Valley - The Winterbournes
3 Apr 2026 10:57 Flood Warning
Groundwater flooding for the Till
2 Apr 2026 09:24 Flood Alert
River Kennet and its tributaries from Berwick Bassett down to Newbury

Does Malmesbury flood?

Ordnance Survey places 26 postcodes in Malmesbury 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 127 properties in the EA dataset's likelihood bands.

EA likelihood bandPostcodes (worst band)Properties in the EA datasetof which homes
High92212
Medium41310
Low139264
Very low000
All bands2612786

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 26 at-risk postcodes in Malmesbury, worst band first

High likelihood (9)

Medium likelihood (4)

Low likelihood (13)

Postcode districts

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 Malmesbury

The nearest watercourse on the river map is the River Avon (Sherston Branch) (River Avon), about 20 m from the middle of Malmesbury's gauges. It flows on to the sea.

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 the River Avon (Sherston Branch) (River Avon) nearest the middle of Malmesbury'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 Malmesbury

Malmesbury is monitored by 1 Environment Agency river level station on the Sherston Avon, in Wiltshire. Water levels are updated every 15 minutes, providing real-time flood monitoring for the area.

Monitoring Stations

The Sherston Avon is monitored by 1 station (St Johns Weir). Each station records water levels continuously, with data synced to FloodRadar every 5 minutes.

Flood Warning Areas

There are 7 Environment Agency flood warning areas within 10km of Malmesbury. When the EA issues a flood warning for any of these areas, it will appear on this page. These include: Westport Bridge, The Maltings, St Johns Bridge, St Johns Street, Inner Silk Mills and The Mulberries; Park Road, Poole Road, Gloucester Road, Mill Lane and Baskerville; Sherston Avon from Luckington to upstream of Malmesbury including Brook End on the Luckington Brook, Sherston and Easton Grey; Upper River Avon and tributaries including Malmesbury, Dauntsey, Chippenham and Calne.

Sewage Discharge Monitoring

There are 14 storm overflows within 5km of Malmesbury. None of the 14 with a reporting monitor are currently discharging. 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 Malmesbury, 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 Malmesbury

Malmesbury gets about 830 mm of rain a year on average (wettest month December, 95 mm; driest June, 53 mm). That is 29% 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), 1.1 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 Malmesbury

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 →

  • 2013-12-23 — Norton, Malmesbury_Winter 2013 to 2014 (Main river)
  • 2012-11-21 — This represents flooding in the area in 2012
  • 2012-11-21 — This represents flooding in the area in 2012
  • 2012-11-21 — Malmesbury_Nov 2012 (Main river)
  • 2012-11-21 — Malmesbury_Nov 2012 (Main river)
  • 2008-01-01 — This represents flooding in this area in 2008 (Main river)
  • 2007-07-20 — EA112_Malmesbury_Surrounding_Area (Main river)
  • 2007-07-01 — This represents flooding in this area in 2007 (Main river)
  • 2003-01-01 — This represents flooding in this area in 2003 (Main river)
  • 2003-01-01 — This represents flooding in this area in 2003
  • 2001-01-01 — This represents flooding in this area in 2001 (Main river)
  • 2000-10-30 — This represents flooding in this area in 2000 (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 Malmesbury today?

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

Which rivers affect Malmesbury?

Malmesbury has river level monitoring on Sherston Avon — 1 monitoring station in total.

How do I check official flood warnings for Malmesbury?

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 Malmesbury flooded before?

Yes — the Environment Agency's Recorded Flood Outlines dataset shows 42 recorded flood extents around the town centre since 1703, most recently in 1992. 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 →