Does Saffron Walden flood?

What the Environment Agency's rivers-and-sea flood-risk data says about Saffron Walden

Ordnance Survey places 44 postcodes in Saffron Walden 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 383 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 Saffron Walden

Environment Agency gauges within 10 km of Saffron Walden watch River Cam, River Granta, River Stort.

• Great Chesterford
  River Cam · 5.4 km away 0.13 m
  normal range · steady · 34 min ago
• Linton
  River Granta · 8.6 km away 0.06 m
  normal range · 34 min ago
• Clavering
  River Stort · 9.1 km away 0.04 m
  normal range · steady · 34 min ago

Distances are from the middle of Saffron Walden'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 Saffron Walden

7 Environment Agency flood warning areas lie within 10 km of Saffron Walden. The EA has issued 76 flood warnings and alerts for them since 2006, most recently on 16 Feb 2026.

• Thaxted Road, Peaslands Road, Farmadine, Radwinter Road, East Street, Hill Street, Gold Street, Cross Street, Market Walk, Market Row, George Street, High Street, Bartletts, Abbey Lane, Primes Close, Park Lane, Freshwell Street and Bridge Street
  no warning on record since 2006 0.7 km
• Thaxted Road in Saffron Walden
  no warning on record since 2006 0.9 km
• Old Mead Road in Henham, North Hall Road in Quendon, London Road, Station Road, High Street, Bridge End, Willow Vale, Bury Water Lane, Belmont Hill and Cambridge Road in Newport, Duck Street in Wendons Ambo, Mill Lane and Walden Road in Littlebury
  2 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Jan 2024 1.9 km
• River Cam from Newport to Whittlesford including the Slades
  39 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Feb 2026 6.2 km
• River Granta from Linton to Babraham
  35 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Jan 2026 8.7 km
• Mill Lane, Horn Lane, High Street, Symonds Lane and Cambridge Road in Linton, Bridge House, Hall Farm, Pear Tree Cottages and West Lodge in Hildersham and High Street and Granta Park in Great Abington
  no warning on record since 2006 9.4 km
• Mill Lane, Church Lane, Horn Lane, High Street and Meadow Lane in Linton, The Granary, Farm Lodge and Galantus House in Hildersham, High Street and Cambridge Road in Abington, High Street and Babraham Institute in Babraham
  no warning on record since 2006 9.8 km

Recorded floods near Saffron Walden

Floods whose mapped extent (EA Recorded Flood Outlines) reached within ~5 km of Saffron Walden, most recent first. Records, not floods: no outline on the record is not evidence a place has not flooded. See them on the map →

• 21 Oct 2001 — 06OctoberAutumn2001 Main river
• 1 Jan 2001 — October 2001
• 1 Jan 1993 — 06OctoberAutumn1993 Main river
• 12 Jan 1968 — 1968 September Flood Outline Main river
• 1 Jan 1947 — March 1947 River

Rainfall near Saffron Walden

Saffron Walden gets about 631 mm of rain a year on average (wettest month October, 66 mm; driest March, 38 mm). That is 46% drier than the UK as a whole, which averages 1,163 mm a year. Source: Met Office HadUK-Grid 1991–2020 (5 km grid), 1.6 km from the place centre.

The nearest rain gauge, Rainfall station (5.5 km away), recorded 0.1 mm in the last 24 hours and 0.9 mm in the last 7 days (latest reading 34 min ago).

At-risk postcodes in Saffron Walden

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

High likelihood (6)

Medium likelihood (4)

Low likelihood (34)

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.