Canterbury Flood Risk

Canterbury has a High flood risk from rivers and the sea , with 5.7% of homes in a Medium or High band. The nearest gauge is 0.5 km away.

Canterbury has 54,689 residents and 22,056 homes. Ranked 703 of 7,114 in England for rivers and sea flood risk.

What Is The River Level Near Canterbury Right Now?

The nearest gauge is West Gate Gardens, 0.5 km from the centre of Canterbury, at Canterbury. Its typical range is 0.232 m to 0.95 m, and the highest level on record is 1.472 m, reached on 13 December 2002.

No current reading has been published for this gauge.

All gauges on this river

When Has Canterbury Flooded Before?

The Environment Agency holds 1 recorded flood outlines covering Canterbury, the most recent dated 8 November 2000.

Absence of a record is not evidence that a place has never flooded — the Environment Agency states that a lack of coverage does not mean an area has never flooded.

What Does Canterbury's Flood Risk Classification Mean?

4.9% of postcodes in Canterbury sit in Flood Zone 3, the planning band for land with a 1% or greater annual chance of river flooding or 0.5% or greater of sea flooding — and the map that draws it deliberately ignores flood defences.

The flood risk band for rivers and the sea is High , with 5.7% of homes in a Medium or High band. Unlike the Flood Zone, the band counts the defences that are actually in place, which is why the two can describe the same street differently and both be right.

Flood Zone versus flood risk band: the full comparison

Which Postcode Districts Cover Canterbury?

Each district below is one postcode district that falls inside Canterbury. The band is the one shared by most of that district's postcodes, so it describes the district rather than a single street — enter a full postcode in the checker for one address. A district can cover more than one town, and the district pages linked from the checker are keyed to the town that holds most of its postcodes.

Postcode districts covering Canterbury, with the flood risk band shared by most of each district's postcodes. A district can span more than one local area, so its band is a summary and not a property-level answer.
Postcode district Postcodes here Rivers and sea band Surface water addresses
CT1 821 High 1,914
CT2 420 Low 1,200
CT4 14 Low 4
CT3 9 Medium 1

How Does Flood Risk Affect Insurance And Buying In Canterbury?

A High flood risk band can affect the price, the excess and the availability of home insurance, and it is worth checking before you buy. Flood cover is normally part of standard home insurance, and insurers set their own prices.

Insuring a flood risk home

How insurers price flood risk, what Flood Re covers, and what to do if a standard insurer declines.

Am I eligible for Flood Re?

The eight statutory conditions, with an eligibility checker that gives a real verdict.

Protecting the property

Barriers, airbricks, pumps and non-return valves, ranked by what they protect against.

This site is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority and gives no advice. It explains the market and links to regulated intermediaries.

What Else Is Near Canterbury?

Other places on the Great Stour, nearest to Canterbury first.