Cotswold Flood Risk
In Cotswold, 2,261 of 64,695 properties (3.5%) are in areas at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers and the sea — at least a 1 in 100 chance in any year — per Environment Agency data updated 6 July 2026; that ranks 96th of 296 local authorities in England by number.
By bandProperties in Cotswold by flood-risk band
| Risk band | Chance of flooding each year | All properties | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| High | 3.3% (1 in 30) or greater chance in any year | 1,353 | 970 |
| Medium | between 1% and 3.3% (1 in 100 to 1 in 30) chance in any year | 908 | 674 |
| Low | between 0.1% and 1% (1 in 1,000 to 1 in 100) chance in any year | 1,727 | 1,337 |
| Very low | less than 0.1% (1 in 1,000) chance in any year | 417 | 304 |
1,644 of the high- or medium-risk properties are homes and 336 are non-residential. 357 postcodes in Cotswold have at least one property at high or medium risk.
Postcode districtsFlood risk across Cotswold
Counts are for the part of each district inside Cotswold.
Recorded floodsPast floods mapped in Cotswold
The Environment Agency has mapped flood outlines on 14 dates in postcode districts that mostly lie in Cotswold since 1947; the most recent started on 12 Dec 2008.
1940s 1 1960s 3 1980s 1 1990s 4 2000s 5
| Started | Place / name in the record | Source of flooding | Cause | Districts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Dec 2008 | This represents flooding in the area in | Not recorded | Not recorded | GL8 |
| 12 Jan 2008 – 20 Jan 2008 | Cirencester Fluvial Water 10 outlines | Main river, drainage | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | GL7 |
| 20 Jul 2007 – 23 Jul 2007 | Chipping Campden | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | GL55 |
| 19 Jul 2007 – 29 Jul 2007 | Fairford Fluvial Water 60 outlines | Main river, drainage | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | GL54 GL56 GL7 |
| 1 Jan 2000 – 31 Dec 2000 | — | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | GL7 |
| 7 Apr 1998 – 13 Apr 1998 | Ilmington | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | GL55 |
| 1 Apr 1998 – 13 Apr 1998 | — | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | GL55 |
| 1 Jan 1993 – 12 Dec 1993 | — 7 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | GL56 GL7 |
| 1 Jan 1992 – 12 Dec 1992 | — 11 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | GL54 GL7 |
| 1 Jan 1985 | — 2 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | GL55 |
| 1 Jul 1968 | Chipping Campden 12 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | GL55 |
| 1 Jan 1968 – 12 Dec 1968 | — | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | GL7 |
| 4 Dec 1960 – 5 Dec 1960 | This represents flooding in this area in 2 outlines | Main river | Not recorded | GL8 |
| 1 Jan 1947 – 12 Dec 1947 | — 2 outlines | Main river | Channel capacity exceeded (no raised defences) | GL7 |
What this page shows, and what it misses
The Environment Agency's count of properties in each postcode that sit in areas of land at very low, low, medium or high risk of flooding from rivers and the sea, allowing for flood defences and their condition, added up here by postcode district and local authority. Every property in England is counted once, so the share is of all properties in the area.
It misses: surface water (heavy rain), groundwater, sewer and reservoir flooding; Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland; and anything about a single building. A band describes the land a property stands on, not its floor level or flood protection, so it is not a forecast for any one home. Past floods come from the EA's Recorded Flood Outlines and are placed in the postcode district whose centre is nearest (within 12 km), so a flood near a boundary can be listed under a neighbour. Older records are patchy, and a flood with no outline is not listed.
"Cotswold" means the local authority area (ONS code E07000079), not only the town centre.
If you live in Cotswold
- Check your own address on gov.uk; it also covers surface water.
- Sign up for free flood warnings: gov.uk/get-flood-warnings. Floodline: 0345 988 1188.
- What is in force now: flood warnings UK · river levels.
- Never walk or drive through flood water: why shallow water kills.
FAQQuestions people ask
Is Cotswold at risk of flooding?
In Cotswold, 2,261 of 64,695 properties (3.5%) are in areas at high or medium risk of flooding from rivers and the sea — at least a 1 in 100 chance in any year — per Environment Agency data updated 6 July 2026; that ranks 96th of 296 local authorities in England by number.
Which parts of Cotswold have the most properties at flood risk?
Postcode district GL7 has the most: 1,360 properties at high or medium risk (4.7% of its properties in Cotswold). The table on this page lists every district.
When did Cotswold last flood?
The Environment Agency has mapped flood outlines on 14 dates in postcode districts that mostly lie in Cotswold since 1947; the most recent started on 12 Dec 2008.
Does this include surface water flooding?
No. These counts cover flooding from rivers and the sea only. Surface water (heavy rain) flooding affects more properties in England; check it for one address on gov.uk's long-term flood risk service.
Flood risk counts: Environment Agency, Risk of Flooding from Rivers and Sea – Postcodes in Areas at Risk and Recorded Flood Outlines, used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. © Environment Agency copyright and/or database right 2025. All rights reserved. Some features of this information 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.
Local authority of each postcode: Office for National Statistics postcode lookup (May 2026), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right 2026. District centres and place names: postcodes.io (ONS/OS open data). Totals, ranks and grouping are Global Incident Tracker's own calculations; the Environment Agency does not endorse them.