Does Whaley Bridge flood?

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

Ordnance Survey places 37 postcodes in Whaley Bridge 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 491 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 Whaley Bridge

Environment Agency gauges within 10 km of Whaley Bridge watch River Goyt, Hogshaw Brook, River Wye, Little Bull Pit Swallet, Poynton Brook.

• Goytside Farm
  River Goyt · 3.5 km away 0.91 m
  normal range · 31 min ago
• Buxton
  Hogshaw Brook · 8.8 km away 0.38 m
  normal range · 31 min ago
• Burlington Road
  River Wye · 8.8 km away 0.61 m
  normal range · 31 min ago
• Perryfoot Farm, Castleton
  Little Bull Pit Swallet · 9.2 km away 0.23 m
  normal range · 31 min ago
• Buxton
  River Wye · 9.7 km away 0.40 m
  normal range · 31 min ago
• Poynton
  Poynton Brook · 9.7 km away 0.41 m
  normal range · 31 min ago
• Marple Bridge
  River Goyt · 9.9 km away 0.57 m
  normal range · 31 min ago

Distances are from the middle of Whaley Bridge'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 Whaley Bridge

4 Environment Agency flood warning areas lie within 10 km of Whaley Bridge. The EA has issued 13 flood warnings and alerts for them since 2006, most recently on 1 Jan 2025.

• Rotary Business Park, Buxton Road, Wheatsheaf Close, Forge and Wharf Road, Market, Bridge and George Streets, Bingswood Road and Avenue, Wood Brook Court and Woodbrook. Also at risk are some properties on Bingswood Industrial Estate.
  11 warnings and alerts since 2006, latest Jan 2025 0.3 km
• Areas at risk include some properties on Chester Road opposite Hazelbadge Road and some properties on Brookfield Avenue. Properties in the vicinity of Woolley Avenue, London Road South and Lostock Road, and Poynton Industrial Estate.
  1 warning or alert since 2006, latest Jul 2019 9.5 km
• Areas at risk include properties on Brabyns Brow, Graysyon Court, Longhurst Lane and Low Lea Road
  1 warning or alert since 2006, latest Jul 2019 9.5 km
• River Wye and Hogshaw Brook at Buxton
  no warning on record since 2006 9.8 km

Recorded floods near Whaley Bridge

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

• 18 Jan 2021 — 2021 January Flood Incident - Storm Christoph Main river
• 15 Feb 2020 — 2020 February Flood Incident - Storm Dennis Drainage
• 7 Nov 2019 — 2019 November Flood Incident Main river
• 28 Jul 2019 — KETTLESHULME
• 28 Jul 2019 — WHALLEY Main river
• 21 Nov 2016 — ea013_Hawk Road Other
• 21 Nov 2016 — ea013_Laneside and Low Leighton Road Other
• 21 Nov 2016 — ea013_Whalley Bridge Other
• 21 Nov 2016 — ea013_Hydebank Road Ordinary watercourse
• 21 Nov 2016 — ea013_St.Georges Road Ordinary watercourse
• 29 Dec 2002 — BLA2
• 28 Oct 2000 — BLA2 Main river

…and 7 earlier recorded floods on the map.

Rainfall near Whaley Bridge

Whaley Bridge gets about 1,111 mm of rain a year on average (wettest month December, 120 mm; driest April, 69 mm). That is close to the UK as a whole, which averages 1,163 mm a year. Source: Met Office HadUK-Grid 1991–2020 (5 km grid), 2.0 km from the place centre.

The nearest rain gauge, Rainfall station (5.9 km away), recorded 6.2 mm in the last 24 hours and 67.0 mm in the last 7 days (latest reading 46 min ago).

At-risk postcodes in Whaley Bridge

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

High likelihood (15)

Medium likelihood (5)

Low likelihood (17)

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.