Does Swavesey flood?

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

Ordnance Survey places 21 postcodes in Swavesey 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 355 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 Swavesey

Environment Agency gauges within 10 km of Swavesey watch Swavesey Drain, River Great Ouse, Oakington Brook, Washpit Brook.

• Webbs Hole Sluice Structure
  Swavesey Drain · 2.3 km away 0.69 m
  controlled by a sluice or weir · 1 h ago
• Brownshill
  River Great Ouse · 4.1 km away No recent reading
  last reported 27 Oct 2026 01:00
• St Ives
  River Great Ouse · 5.1 km away No recent reading
  last reported 27 Oct 2026 01:00
• Oakington
  Oakington Brook · 6.4 km away 0.26 m
  below normal · steady · 29 min ago
• Earith
  River Great Ouse · 6.6 km away No recent reading
  last reported 27 Oct 2026 02:45
• Hemingford
  River Great Ouse · 7.1 km away No recent reading
  last reported 27 Oct 2026 01:00
• Girton
  Washpit Brook · 8.3 km away 0.86 m
  normal range · steady · 29 min ago
• Houghton
  River Great Ouse · 8.7 km away No recent reading
  last reported 27 Oct 2026 01:00

Distances are from the middle of Swavesey'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 Swavesey

13 Environment Agency flood warning areas lie within 10 km of Swavesey. The EA has issued 88 flood warnings and alerts for them since 2006, most recently on 6 Feb 2026.

• Hollywell Front in Hollywell, Overcote Lane in Needingworth and Hale Road, Taylors Lane, Blackhorse Lane, Station Road, Over Road, High Street, Chantry Close, Moat Way, Whitegate Close, Thistle Green, Greenside Close and Cow Fen Drove in Swavesey
  no warning on record since 2006 0.9 km
• Low Road, Hall Green Lane, Manor Drive and Honey Hill in Fenstanton, Daintrees Road, Dovecote Close and High Street in Fen Drayton
  no warning on record since 2006 3.2 km
• River Great Ouse from Brampton to Earith, including Back Brook, Hall Green Brook, Parsons Drove Drain, Swavesey Drain and Wadsbys Folly
  41 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Feb 2026 3.5 km
• Overcote Road Horseware, Fen End and Hitherford in Over, Needingworth Road in Bluntisham and High Street, Marina Drive, Kingfisher Court, The Waterhaven and Earith Bridge in Earith
  no warning on record since 2006 4.1 km
• Harding Way, Nursery Gardens, Russet Close, Bramley Road, Elsworth Close, Rookery Close, Sheepfold, Great Fathing Close, Little Fathing Close, Fathing Lane, Brookway, Willow Way, Abbey Retail Park, Parson Green and Parsons Drove
  2 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Apr 2024 4.4 km
• Westwood Road, Ramsey Road, Broad Leas, Warren Road, The Broadway, West Street, East Street, Needingworth Road, Station Road, New Road, London Road, Low Road, Dunnock Way and Greenfields
  no warning on record since 2006 4.9 km
• London Road and Enderbys Wharf in St Ives
  no warning on record since 2006 5.7 km
• Dry Drayton Road, The Broadway, Cambridge Road, Orchard Way, Longstanton Road, Mead View, The Drift, Lowbury Cresent, Water Lane, Kettles Close, Holme Close, Arcadia Gardens, Cherry Orchard and Station Road in Oakington and Oakington Road in Westwick
  5 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Sep 2021 6.5 km
• Meadow Lane, River Meadow, Common Lane, High Street, Church Lane, Rideaway, Royal Oak Lane and New Road in Hemmingford Abbotts, Church Street, Meadow Lane, Mill Lane, High Street, Marsh Lane, Pound Lane and St Ives Road in Hemmingford Grey
  no warning on record since 2006 7.5 km
• Woodlands Close, Dodford Lane, Fairway, Northfield and Oakington Road in Girton
  9 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Dec 2020 8.1 km
• Cottenham Lode including Oakington Brook, Wash Pit Brook and Beck Brook
  31 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Nov 2025 9.1 km
• Banks End, Splash Lane, Manor Close, St Margarets Road, Warren Close, Ware Lane, Victoria Crescent, Rectory Lane and Huntingdon Road in Wyton, St Ives Road, Home Farm Road, Mill Street, Chapel Lane, Thicket Road and Meadow Lane in Houghton
  no warning on record since 2006 9.3 km

Recorded floods near Swavesey

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

• 1 Jan 2001 — October 2001
• 9 Apr 1998 — LNA_1998_April_River Nene_d/s Northampton Main river
• 1 Jan 1998 — Easter 1998
• 1 Jan 1993 — October 1993
• 1 Jan 1978 — May 1978
• 1 Jan 1947 — March 1947

Rainfall near Swavesey

Swavesey gets about 544 mm of rain a year on average (wettest month October, 57 mm; driest March, 32 mm). That is 53% drier than the UK as a whole, which averages 1,163 mm a year. Source: Met Office HadUK-Grid 1991–2020 (5 km grid), 1.9 km from the place centre.

The nearest rain gauge, Rainfall station (3.4 km away), recorded 2.6 mm in the last 24 hours and 39.6 mm in the last 7 days (latest reading 29 min ago).

At-risk postcodes in Swavesey

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

High likelihood (3)

Medium likelihood (18)

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.