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Ringwood Flooding

Hampshire • Live river level monitoring on Bickerly Mill Stream
1 monitoring station
1 river
6 warning areas
🏠 Thinking of buying in Ringwood? Get the detailed Property Flood-Risk Report for any Ringwood postcode — official risk band, recorded floods since 1703, warning history, river behaviour and nearby storm overflows. £19 one-off, instant. Learn more →

Does Ringwood flood? 74 postcodes in Ringwood are in the Environment Agency's rivers-and-sea flood-risk data (25 High, 6 Medium likelihood) — the breakdown is further down this page.

Flood risk in Ringwood today: Normal

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

Updated 2026-10-10 00:05:19 UTC · Official GOV.UK warnings · Flood preparation & help guide

About Ringwood
Ringwood
Town in Hampshire, England

Ringwood is a market town and civil parish in the New Forest district, in south-west Hampshire, England, on the River Avon close to the New Forest, northeast of Bournemouth and southwest of Southampton. It was founded by the Anglo-Saxons, and has held a weekly market since the Middle Ages. In 2021 the parish had a population of 14,618, while the built-up area of the town had a population of 12,785.

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 Ringwood’s gauges and flood maps loads as you reach it.
Recent Flood Events
31 Aug 2026 08:59 Flood Alert
Beaulieu estuary
30 Aug 2026 17:05 Flood Alert
Beaulieu estuary
22 Apr 2026 12:09 Flood Alert
Groundwater flooding in the Alton area
21 Apr 2026 10:09 Flood Alert
Groundwater flooding in the Alton area
21 Apr 2026 09:44 Flood Alert
Groundwater flooding in the Alton area
15 Apr 2026 10:08 Flood Alert
Groundwater flooding in the Salisbury Plain area

Does Ringwood flood?

Ordnance Survey places 74 postcodes in Ringwood 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 856 properties in the EA dataset's likelihood bands.

EA likelihood bandPostcodes (worst band)Properties in the EA datasetof which homes
High25286267
Medium64533
Low41503412
Very low22216
All bands74856728

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 74 at-risk postcodes in Ringwood, worst band first

High likelihood (25)

Medium likelihood (6)

Low likelihood (41)

Very low likelihood (2)

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 Ringwood

The nearest watercourse on the river map is Bickerley Millstream, about 10 m from the middle of Ringwood's gauges. It flows into the River Avon about 2.7 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 Bickerley Millstream nearest the middle of Ringwood'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 Ringwood

Ringwood is monitored by 1 Environment Agency river level station on the Bickerly Mill Stream, in Hampshire. Water levels are updated every 15 minutes, providing real-time flood monitoring for the area.

Monitoring Stations

The Bickerly Mill Stream is monitored by 1 station (Ringwood Old Cottage). Each station records water levels continuously, with data synced to FloodRadar every 5 minutes.

Flood Warning Areas

There are 6 Environment Agency flood warning areas within 10km of Ringwood. When the EA issues a flood warning for any of these areas, it will appear on this page. These include: The Bridges, Little Thatch, Watermead, Capberton, Three Bridges and Old Bridge Cottage, West Street, Avon Edge and Stubbings Meadow Caravan Park in Ringwood; Kingsby Lane, Bickerley Terrace, West Street, Riverside, Lynes Lane, Kings Arm Lane, Strides Lane and Market Place in Ringwood; Tributaries between Ringwood and Christchurch; Bickerley, Ringwood and the B3347 from Christchurch to Stony Lane in Christchurch.

Sewage Discharge Monitoring

There are 6 storm overflows within 5km of Ringwood. None of the 6 with a reporting monitor are currently discharging. Enable "Sewage" on the map above to see their locations.

Each has its own page of live status and past discharges:

What To Do During A Flood

If flooding is forecast in Ringwood, 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 Ringwood

Ringwood gets about 925 mm of rain a year on average (wettest month November, 113 mm; driest July, 54 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), 2.8 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 Ringwood

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 →

  • 2014-02-19 — This represents flooding in the area in 2014 (Drainage)
  • 2014-02-14 — This represents flooding in the area in 2014 (Drainage)
  • 2014-02-14 — This represents flooding in the area in 2014 (Drainage)
  • 2014-01-09 — Flood Extents_Winter 2013 to 2014 (Main river)
  • 2014-01-09 — Flood Extents_Winter 2013 to 2014 (Main river)
  • 2014-01-09 — Flood Extents_Winter 2013 to 2014 (Main river)
  • 2013-12-23 — This represents flooding in the area in 2013
  • 2013-12-23 — Verwood_Winter 2013 to 2014 (Ordinary watercourse)
  • 2009-02-10 — This represents flooding in the area in 2009 (Main river)
  • 2009-02-06 — This represents flooding in the area in 2009 (Ordinary watercourse)
  • 2003-12-01 — This represents flooding in the area in 2003 (Drainage)
  • 2003-01-01 — This represents flooding in the area in 2003

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

Frequently asked questions

Is there flooding in Ringwood today?

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

Which rivers affect Ringwood?

Ringwood has river level monitoring on Bickerly Mill Stream — 1 monitoring station in total.

How do I check official flood warnings for Ringwood?

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 Ringwood 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 2014. 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 →