Home › Lancashire › Ribchester

Ribchester Flooding

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

Flood risk in Ribchester today: Watch

Conditions are worth watching: heavy rain has fallen nearby (28 mm in the last 24 hours at Rainfall station). Keep an eye on updates if heavy rain continues.

Updated 2026-10-09 18:46:11 UTC · Official GOV.UK warnings · Flood preparation & help guide

About Ribchester
Ribchester
Village in Lancashire, England

Ribchester is a village and civil parish within the Ribble Valley district of Lancashire, England. It lies on the banks of the River Ribble, six miles (10 km) northwest of Blackburn and twelve miles (19 km) east of Preston.

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 Ribchester’s gauges and flood maps loads as you reach it.
Recent Flood Events
9 Oct 2026 16:04 Warning no longer in force
Upper River Wyre, Brock
9 Oct 2026 16:02 Warning no longer in force
Lower River Wyre
9 Oct 2026 09:39 Flood Alert
Upper River Wyre, Brock
9 Oct 2026 09:38 Flood Alert
Lower River Wyre
8 Oct 2026 17:30 Flood Alert
Upper River Wyre, Brock
8 Oct 2026 17:29 Flood Alert
Lower River Wyre

Does it flood near Ribchester?

Towns and villages near Ribchester with a page of their own: the homes in a flood risk area there, the nearest river gauges, and recorded floods.

Great Harwood · Church · Oswaldtwistle

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.

The watercourse nearest Ribchester

The nearest watercourse on the river map is Boyce's Brook, about 140 m from the middle of Ribchester's gauges. It flows into Duddel Brook about 490 m 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 Boyce's Brook nearest the middle of Ribchester'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 Ribchester

Ribchester is monitored by 2 Environment Agency river level stations on the Boyces Brook, the River Ribble, in Lancashire. Water levels are updated every 15 minutes, providing real-time flood monitoring for the area.

Monitoring Stations

The Boyces Brook is monitored by 1 station (Ribchester Sarmatian Bridge). The River Ribble is monitored by 1 station (Ribchester School). 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 Ribchester. When the EA issues a flood warning for any of these areas, it will appear on this page. These include: Boyces Brook and Duddel Brook at Ribchester, Sarmatian Fold, Fort Avenue, Anchor Hill Close, Church Street and Ribchester Arms; Boyces Brook and Duddel Brook at Ribchester, Ribblesdale Road, Church Street and Sunnyside Avenue areas; Higher Croft, Harwood House, Yew Tree Cottage, Beech House, Thorncroft, properties near Ease Barn Farm on Gallows Lane, and 19 to 22 Blackburn Road; Properties in Riverside, Greenside, those at Little Town near Ribblesdale House Farm, Osbaldeston Hall, Boat house, Lower Barn Farm, Waterside Farm, Stydd Lodge Farm, and properties on Salesbury Hall Road near Ribchester Bridge.

Sewage Discharge Monitoring

There are 10 storm overflows within 5km of Ribchester. 1 is 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 Ribchester, 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 Ribchester

Ribchester gets about 1,266 mm of rain a year on average (wettest month December, 147 mm; driest April, 66 mm). That is close to 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), 3.2 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 Ribchester

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 — 31st December 2024 (Main river)
  • 2024-12-31 — 31st December 2024 (Main river)
  • 2020-06-16 — Berry Lane (Drainage)
  • 2020-06-16 — Dilworth Lane (Drainage)
  • 2020-06-16 — Higher Road (Drainage)
  • 2020-06-16 — Lower Lane (Drainage)
  • 2020-06-16 — Calder Avenue (Drainage)
  • 2020-02-09 — Ribchester (Main river)
  • 2015-12-26 — Ribchester (Main river)
  • 2015-12-26 — Ribchester (Main river)
  • 2015-12-26 — Ribchester (Main river)
  • 2015-12-26 — Ribchester (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 Ribchester today?

Current verdict: Watch. Conditions are worth watching: heavy rain has fallen nearby (28 mm in the last 24 hours at Rainfall station). Keep an eye on updates if heavy rain continues.

Which rivers affect Ribchester?

Ribchester has river level monitoring on Boyces Brook, River Ribble — 2 monitoring stations in total.

How do I check official flood warnings for Ribchester?

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 Ribchester flooded before?

Yes — the Environment Agency's Recorded Flood Outlines dataset shows 21 recorded flood extents around the town centre since 1703, most recently in 2000. 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 →