Guest, Sign inJoin
High Street, CheltenhamPhoto: Philip Halling · CC BY-SA 2.0
CHazard risk Grade
Flood & hazards in Cheltenham · Environment Agency

In Cheltenham, heavy rain puts more homes at risk than rivers or the sea: 10%, against 1%

On the Environment Agency’s maps, which allow for flood defences, “high or medium” means at least a 1 in 100 chance of flooding from rivers or the sea in any year. Cheltenham grades C for hazard risk: #30 of 48 in Gloucestershire.

2007worst recorded flood17flood warnings since 200666%in a radon Affected Area
In brief

What stands out about Cheltenham’s hazards

From the Environment Agency’s maps and records and the BGS radon atlas, below.

Rain, more than the river10% of homes sit where heavy rain can flood the streets, against 1% at risk from rivers and the sea.Remembers 2007The Hatherley Brook and the River Chelt covered 88 hectares of today’s Cheltenham in 2007; 1,351 of today’s households live inside past flood outlines.The River Chelt ran its 5th-highest in January 20251.42 m at Charlton Kings on 6 January 2025, 124 cm under the record set in 2007.17 flood warnings since 2006For the parts of Cheltenham the Environment Agency warns directly; the most recent on 6 January 2025.
By hazard

What Cheltenham faces

Each hazard against its own yardstick; meters run from low to high on that yardstick.

Rivers and the sea

1%of homes at high or medium risk
More than the typical UK town · more than 69% of towns
603 homes by the EA’s own count

Surface water

10%of homes at high or medium risk
More than 92% of UK towns
Rivers and sea: 1%

Past floods

2years with a recorded flood
Last recorded: July 2007
1,351 households inside past outlines

The River Chelt

0.85 mhighest in winter 2025–26 at Charlton Kings
12th-highest of 23 winters
Record 2.66 m, July 2007

Flood warnings

17flood warnings since 2006
31 flood alerts for the wider area
Last warning 6 January 2025

Radon

66%of the city in a radon Affected Area
Highest band here: 10–30% of homes
7% in squares of 5% or more
Not on this page: coastal erosion, subsidence and shrink-swell ground (the British Geological Survey licenses it), groundwater flooding and reservoir failure.
Hazard risk Grade

Cheltenham grades C for hazard risk

Flood risk from rivers and the sea, against all UK towns.

Homes at high or medium flood risk (1%)Fewer than 31% of UK towns

The share of homes at high or medium risk from rivers and the sea, ranked against every UK town of 1,000 or more: fewer homes at risk is better. Towns with none at high or medium risk are ordered by their share at low risk, so they don’t all share one score. Surface water and radon aren’t graded: they are described below.

Flood map

Where the water goes in Cheltenham

Turn layers on and off. Blue is the risk from rivers and the sea; pink is where heavy rain collects. Both allow for flood defences.

Recorded flood: 1968Hatherley Brook, River Chelt: 2007© OpenStreetMap contributors · EA NaFRA2
HighMediumLowrivers & seaHighMediumLowsurface waterCheltenham’s built-up area

The river and sea risk follows the River Chelt, the Hatherley Brook and the Wymans Brook. Surface-water risk is spread across the city, in dips, underpasses and along small streams, which is why more homes are exposed to it.

Rivers and the sea

1% of Cheltenham’s homes are at high or medium risk from rivers or the sea

The Environment Agency’s national map, allowing for defences. A further 1.4% are at low risk.

High risk0.7%of homes · 1 in 30 a year or more372 homes, EA count
Medium risk0.4%of homes · 1 in 30 to 1 in 100231 homes, EA count
Low risk1.4%of homes · 1 in 100 to 1 in 1,000836 homes, EA count
Where Cheltenham sits among 3,735 UK towns
35%None
23%Under 0.5%
9%0.5–1%
11%1–2%Cheltenham
11%2–5%
5%5–10%
3%10–20%
2%20% +

Share of each UK town’s homes at high or medium risk from rivers and the sea. 35% of UK towns have none; Cheltenham has more than 69% of towns.

Towns its size: 42nd of 64 from the fewest homes at risk
#TownPeopleHigh or med.
1Oldham Greater Manchester110,7220%
2Birkenhead Merseyside109,8540%
3Kensington and Chelsea London143,348under 0.1%
…
40Solihull West Midlands107,7541%
41Basingstoke Hampshire117,2111%
42Cheltenham Gloucestershire115,9411%
43Salford Greater Manchester108,4311.1%
44Bury Greater Manchester81,1151.2%
…
63Lincoln Lincolnshire104,5536%
64Grimsby Lincolnshire85,9158.9%

UK towns of 81,000 to 162,000 people.

The Environment Agency’s Risk of Flooding from Rivers and Sea (NaFRA2, June 2026) counts each postcode’s homes by band; the shares weight those postcodes by Census 2021 households. The EA counts include homes built since 2021.

Surface water

Heavy rain puts about 10 times as many Cheltenham homes at risk as rivers and the sea do

Surface water is rain that falls faster than drains and the ground can take it. It is mapped separately from rivers and the sea, and it is not in the Hazard risk Grade.

Surface water10%
Rivers and the sea1%
0%14%28% of homes

About 5.5% of homes are at high risk of surface-water flooding (a 1 in 30 chance or more each year) and 5% at medium risk: roughly 5,420 households. A further 12% face a low risk from surface water. That is more than 92% of UK towns.

~5,420
households at high or medium risk
12%
of homes at low risk
92%
of UK towns have a smaller share
71,119
addresses read on the map

Our estimate: every address in the city (ONS NSUL) read on the Environment Agency’s Risk of Flooding from Surface Water map (NaFRA2, 2025), each postcode’s share weighted by its Census 2021 households. Neither agency publishes a count of homes for surface water, so treat it as a guide; one street can differ from the next.

Flood history

Cheltenham has flooded in 2 recorded years since 1968, most of all in 2007

Every flood the Environment Agency has mapped inside Cheltenham’s built-up area, newest first. The record is fullest for big river floods; small and surface-water floods are often missing.

  1. 2007July 2007: The Hatherley Brook, the River Chelt and the Wymans Brook overflowed88 hectares inside today’s built-up area
  2. 1968July 1968: River flooding recorded32 hectares inside today’s built-up area · Lower Severn
The worst: 200788 ha

The Hatherley Brook and the River Chelt covered 88 hectares of what is now Cheltenham in 2007, the largest flood the record holds here (July).

1,351 of Cheltenham’s households today live inside the outline of a recorded flood.

River levels

The River Chelt in January 2025 rose to its 5th-highest level since 2001

The highest level each winter (October to September) at the Environment Agency’s Charlton Kings gauge, since 2001. The river normally runs between 0.28 m and 0.45 m here.

Highest level each winter, metres
Winter 2001–02: highest 0.82 m · 23 days above the normal rangeWinter 2002–03: highest 0.80 m · 26 days above the normal rangeWinter 2003–04: highest 0.74 m · 18 days above the normal rangeWinter 2004–05: highest 0.56 m · 9 days above the normal rangeWinter 2005–06: highest 0.87 m · 15 days above the normal rangeWinter 2006–07: highest 2.66 m on 20 July 2007 · 73 days above the normal rangeWinter 2007–08: highest 1.13 m on 16 March 2008 · 84 days above the normal rangeWinter 2008–09: highest 0.94 m · 47 days above the normal rangeWinter 2009–10: highest 0.73 m · 57 days above the normal rangeWinter 2010–11: highest 0.61 m · 18 days above the normal rangeWinter 2013–14: highest 1.18 m on 24 December 2013 · 115 days above the normal rangeWinter 2014–15: highest 0.69 m · 33 days above the normal rangeWinter 2015–16: highest 1.05 m · 66 days above the normal rangeWinter 2016–17: highest 0.60 m · 27 days above the normal rangeWinter 2017–18: highest 0.73 m · 49 days above the normal rangeWinter 2018–19: highest 0.66 m · 57 days above the normal rangeWinter 2019–20: highest 1.31 m on 9 January 2020 · 155 days above the normal rangeWinter 2020–21: highest 1.55 m on 23 December 2020 · 126 days above the normal rangeWinter 2021–22: highest 0.77 m · 28 days above the normal rangeWinter 2022–23: highest 1.13 m · 81 days above the normal rangeWinter 2023–24: highest 1.03 m · 142 days above the normal rangeWinter 2024–25: highest 1.42 m on 6 January 2025 · 77 days above the normal rangeWinter 2025–26: highest 0.85 m · 78 days above the normal range’06–07’20–21’24–25Record 2.66 m, 2007Top of normal range
2001–022025–26
The highest days on record
  • 20 July 20072.66 m
  • 25 June 20072.52 m
  • 23 December 20201.55 m
  • 24 August 20211.48 m
  • 6 January 20251.42 m
  • 9 January 20201.31 m

The River Chelt has topped its normal range on 1,404 days since 2001, most in the winters of 2019–20 and 2023–24. By its highest day, the winter of 2025–26 was the 12th-highest of the 23.

Environment Agency Hydrology API, Charlton Kings (station 2139), daily maximum level; the record and normal range from the EA’s stage scale. Live river levels are on GOV.UK’s Check for flooding.

Flood warnings

No flood warning or alert is in force for Cheltenham · 17 warnings in 20 years

The Environment Agency has 7 flood warning areas and 1 alert area reaching into the city; warnings since the service began in 2006.

Now: no flood warnings or alerts for Cheltenham (checked 10 November 2026, 19:24). Check for flooding on GOV.UK →
Warnings and alerts each year for areas in Cheltenham
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
Flood warning (flooding expected)Flood alert (flooding possible)

The warning area covering the most of Cheltenham, River Chelt in Cheltenham Town, has not had a flood warning since 2006. Of the 17 warnings, 6 were for River Chelt at Charlton Kings and 4 for River Chelt at Coxs Meadow.

2014 had the most warnings (4); 2024 the most alerts (14). The most recent warning was on 6 January 2025.

Show the 8 warning and alert areas
AreaKindSince 2006Now
River Chelt at Charlton KingsWarning area6None
River Chelt at Coxs MeadowWarning area4None
River Chelt at Springbank, CheltenhamWarning area3None
River Chelt at Uckington and BoddingtonWarning area2None
Hatherley Brook from Leckhampton to Down HatherleyWarning area1None
Wymans Brook from Wymans to Pittville, CheltenhamWarning area1None
River Chelt in Cheltenham TownWarning area0None
Tributaries in Cheltenham and TewkesburyAlert area31None

Environment Agency Historic Flood Warnings (first issues only, not updates; “flood watch” counted as an alert before 2011) and the real-time flood-monitoring API. Sign up for free warnings on GOV.UK or call Floodline, 0345 988 1188.

Radon

Parts of Cheltenham are in radon Affected Areas, up to the 10–30% band

Radon is a natural radioactive gas from the ground; long exposure raises the risk of lung cancer. The atlas gives the chance that a home in each 1 km square is above the UK action level (200 Bq/m³).

SO9020: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO9021: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSO9022: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSO9120: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO9121: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO9122: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO9123: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSO9124: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSO9219: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO9220: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO9221: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO9222: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO9223: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSO9224: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSO9318: 5–10% of homes above the action levelSO9319: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO9320: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO9321: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO9322: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSO9323: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSO9324: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSO9418: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSO9419: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSO9420: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO9421: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSO9422: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSO9423: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSO9424: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSO9518: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSO9519: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSO9520: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSO9521: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSO9522: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSO9523: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSO9524: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSO9525: 1–3% of homes above the action levelSO9619: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSO9620: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSO9621: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSO9622: Under 1% of homes above the action levelSO9623: 3–5% of homes above the action levelSO9719: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSO9720: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSO9721: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSO9722: 10–30% of homes above the action levelSO9723: 1–3% of homes above the action level© OpenStreetMap contributors · BGS/UKHSA
Under 1%1–3%3–5%10–30%
Share of the city’s area in each band
Under 1% of homes34%
1–3% of homes8%
3–5% of homes51%
10–30% of homes7%

66% of Cheltenham’s built-up area is in a radon Affected Area (1% of homes or more above the action level), and 7% in squares of 5% or more, mostly on the south-east side of the city.

The squares are indicative: each takes the highest band found anywhere inside it, so most homes in a coloured square are below it. Only a three-month test in the home gives a real answer.

BGS/UKHSA Indicative Atlas of Radon in Great Britain, version 3. Check an address at UKradon.org.

Neighbours

Flood risk in the places around Cheltenham

Share of homes at high or medium and at low risk from rivers and the sea. Tap a town for its page.

Prestbury: Hazard risk CShurdington: Hazard risk ABishop's Cleeve: Hazard risk BChurchdown: Hazard risk BGotherington: Hazard risk ABrockworth: Hazard risk B−Longford: Hazard risk DPrestburyShurdingtonBishop's CleeveChurchdownGotheringtonBrockworthLongfordCheltenham
ABCD
TownPeopleHigh or mediumLowHazard
Cheltenham115,9411%1.4%C
Prestbury4,0781.2%3.8%C
Shurdington1,8880%0%A
Bishop's Cleeve16,323under 0.1%0.2%B
Churchdown13,480under 0.1%0.1%B
Gotherington1,1310%0%A
Brockworth12,0070.1%0.3%B−
Longford2,5368.3%11%D

Longford, 6.2 miles west, has the most homes at risk around Cheltenham (8.3% at high or medium). Shurdington and Gotherington have none.

Be ready

Get ready for what Cheltenham faces

Free warnings, what to do in a cloudburst, and what to check before you move.

Get the warnings
  • Sign up free for Environment Agency flood warnings by text, call or email.
  • Floodline: 0345 988 1188, 24 hours.
  • Cheltenham’s warning areas include River Chelt in Cheltenham Town and Wymans Brook from Wymans to Pittville, Cheltenham.
Sign up ↗
In a cloudburst
  • Surface water rises in minutes, often with no warning issued: stay out of underpasses and dips.
  • Keep the gullies and drains outside your home clear of leaves.
  • Report a blocked road drain to the council.
Radon
  • Test over three months, in a living room and a bedroom.
  • Above 200 Bq/m³, a small sump and fan usually fixes it.
  • New homes in radon areas are built with protection: basic from 3%, full from 10%.
UKradon ↗
Before you buy or rent in Cheltenham
  • Check the address on GOV.UK’s long-term flood risk service: it gives rivers and sea and surface water separately.
  • Ask whether the home has flooded or had a flood insurance claim; the TA6 property form asks the seller.
  • Homes built before 2009 can get flood cover through Flood Re, the government-backed scheme; newer homes can’t.
  • Check radon for the address on UKradon.org (a small fee) or ask the seller for a test result.
How to read these numbers

What this data can and can’t tell you

  • Defences are counted. Both agencies’ maps allow for flood defences and the chance they are overtopped or fail, so a town behind a defence scheme can show few homes at high risk and many at low risk.
  • Surface water is our estimate. Neither agency publishes a count of homes at risk from surface water, so we read each address on the map. A flat on a hill and a basement in a dip can share a postcode.
  • Past floods are what was recorded. The flood outlines come from surveys, aerial photographs and reports; many small floods, and most surface-water floods, were never mapped.
  • One town, many streets. Risk is street by street. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s long-term flood risk service before you buy or rent.

Check the long-term flood risk for an address on GOV.UK →

Questions about flooding and hazards in Cheltenham

Does Cheltenham flood?

The last flood the Environment Agency recorded inside the city was in July 2007. 1% of homes are at high or medium risk from rivers and the sea on the Environment Agency’s maps, which allow for flood defences. About 10% of homes are at high or medium risk from surface water, when heavy rain overwhelms the drains. Cheltenham grades C for hazard risk against UK towns.

Which parts of Cheltenham are at risk of flooding?

From rivers and the sea, the places the Environment Agency warns directly: River Chelt at Charlton Kings, River Chelt at Coxs Meadow, River Chelt at Springbank, Cheltenham and River Chelt at Uckington and Boddington. Surface water can collect in low spots anywhere in the city. Check a specific address on GOV.UK’s long-term flood risk service.

When did Cheltenham last flood?

The recorded flood outlines inside the city run from 1968 to 2007 (2 years); the largest was in 2007. Flood warnings have been issued for parts of the city since 2006, most recently on 6 January 2025.

Is Cheltenham at risk of surface water flooding?

About 5.5% of homes are at high risk and 5% at medium risk from surface water, against 1% at high or medium risk from rivers and the sea. Surface water floods come with little warning, and the agencies don’t issue warnings for them.

Is radon a problem in Cheltenham?

66% of the city’s built-up area is in a radon Affected Area on the BGS/UKHSA atlas, and 7% is in 1 km squares where 5% or more of homes may be above the action level. Most homes are below it; a three-month test is the only way to know.

Are there flood warnings in Cheltenham now?

No flood warning or alert was in force near Cheltenham at 10 November 2026, 19:24. Live warnings are on GOV.UK’s Check for flooding service and Floodline, 0345 988 1188.

Contains Environment Agency information © Environment Agency and/or database right 2026. Contains British Geological Survey materials © UKRI 2026.

Sources: Environment Agency Risk of Flooding from Rivers and Sea, postcodes in areas at risk (June 2026); Natural Resources Wales Flood Risk Assessment Wales (May 2026); ONS Census 2021 households by postcode · Environment Agency Risk of Flooding from Surface Water (NaFRA2, 2025) and Natural Resources Wales Flood Risk Assessment Wales surface water and small watercourses, read at every address (ONS National Statistics UPRN Lookup, September 2026) and weighted by Census 2021 households by postcode · Environment Agency Recorded Flood Outlines and Natural Resources Wales historic flood map, inside the ONS 2022 built-up-area boundary · Environment Agency Hydrology API (daily maximum river level) and flood-monitoring stage scales · Environment Agency real-time flood-monitoring API · Environment Agency Historic Flood Warnings (January 2006 to June 2026) and flood warning and alert areas · BGS/UKHSA Indicative Atlas of Radon in Great Britain, version 3, by 1 km square · TownRatings grades: our own summary of the data, ranked against UK towns only. All under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.