Home › Oxfordshire › Wantage

Wantage Flooding

Oxfordshire • Live river level monitoring on Letcombe Brook
1 monitoring station
1 river
7 warning areas
🏠 Thinking of buying in Wantage? Get the detailed Property Flood-Risk Report for any Wantage 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 Wantage today: Normal

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

Updated 2026-10-09 13:00:24 UTC · Official GOV.UK warnings · Flood preparation & help guide

About Wantage
Wantage
Town and civil parish in Oxfordshire, England

Wantage is a historic market town and civil parish at the foot of the Berkshire Downs in the Vale of White Horse, Oxfordshire, England. Historically in Berkshire, it has been administered as part of Oxfordshire since 1974. The town is on Letcombe Brook, 8 miles (13 km) south-west of Abingdon, 14 miles (23 km) north-west of Newbury, and 15 miles (24 km) south-west of Oxford.

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 Wantage’s gauges and flood maps loads as you reach it.
Recent Flood Events
30 Aug 2026 09:17 Flood Alert
River Cole, Dorcan Brook and South Marston Brook
29 Aug 2026 14:44 Flood Alert
River Cole, Dorcan Brook and South Marston Brook
14 Apr 2026 11:18 Flood Alert
Groundwater flooding in the Lambourn Valley catchment
7 Apr 2026 11:28 Flood Alert
Groundwater flooding in the Lambourn Valley catchment
31 Mar 2026 15:20 Flood Alert
Groundwater flooding in the Lambourn Valley catchment
29 Mar 2026 07:57 Flood Alert
River Pang from East Ilsley to Pangbourne and Sulham Brook

Does it flood near Wantage?

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

Grove

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 Wantage

The nearest watercourse on the river map is Letcombe Brook, about 10 m from the middle of Wantage's gauges. It flows into Childrey Brook about 8.9 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 Letcombe Brook nearest the middle of Wantage'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 Wantage

Wantage is monitored by 1 Environment Agency river level station on the Letcombe Brook, in Oxfordshire. Water levels are updated every 15 minutes, providing real-time flood monitoring for the area.

Monitoring Stations

The Letcombe Brook is monitored by 1 station (Wantage). 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 Wantage. When the EA issues a flood warning for any of these areas, it will appear on this page. These include: Letcombe Brook at Letcombe Bassett and Letcombe Regis; Letcombe Brook at Wantage, Grove and East Hanney, up to and including The Venn Mill; River Ock from Watchfield to Abingdon including, Stanford in the Vale, Charney Bassett, Lyford and Garford, and also the Letcombe Brook at Wantage, Grove and East Hanney; River Ock from Longcot down to but excluding the A34 near Abingdon, including Stanford in the Vale, Charney Bassett, Lyford and Garford.

Sewage Discharge Monitoring

There is 1 storm overflow within 5km of Wantage. None of the 1 with a reporting monitor is currently discharging. Enable "Sewage" on the map above to see their locations.

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

What To Do During A Flood

If flooding is forecast in Wantage, 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 Wantage

Wantage gets about 698 mm of rain a year on average (wettest month November, 77 mm; driest March, 46 mm). That is 40% 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), 2.0 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 Wantage

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 →

  • 2013-11-23 — Winter 2013/2014 (Other)
  • 2013-11-23 — Winter 2013/2014 (Main river)
  • 2007-07-19 — East Hanney CP_Fluvial Water (Main river)
  • 2007-07-19 — East Hanney CP_Fluvial Water (Main river)
  • 2007-07-19 — East Hanney CP_Fluvial Water (Main river)
  • 2007-07-19 — East Hanney CP_Fluvial Water (Main river)
  • 2007-07-19 — East Hanney CP_Fluvial Water (Main river)
  • 2007-07-19 — East Hanney CP_Fluvial Water (Main river)
  • 2007-07-19 — Wantage CP_Fluvial Water (Main river)
  • 2007-07-19 — Wantage CP_Fluvial Water (Main river)
  • 2007-07-19 — Wantage CP_Fluvial Water (Main river)
  • 2007-07-19 — Wantage CP_Fluvial Water (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 Wantage today?

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

Which rivers affect Wantage?

Wantage has river level monitoring on Letcombe Brook — 1 monitoring station in total.

How do I check official flood warnings for Wantage?

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 Wantage flooded before?

Yes — the Environment Agency's Recorded Flood Outlines dataset shows 7 recorded flood extents around the town centre since 1703, most recently in 2007. 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 →