Battle Bourne embankment flood defence
Updated 7 March 2023
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2023
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.
This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/battle-bourne-embankment-flood-defence/battle-bourne-embankment-flood-defence
Battle Bourne embankment flood defence
The Battle Bourne embankment is a flood defence extending from Datchet Road in Old Windsor to the Old Windsor lock cut. The embankment runs along the southern bank of the Battle Bourne. It is comprised of 1300 metres of steel sheet piling and does not require any manual or automatic operation.
Under normal conditions, the ground on both sides of the embankment is dry and can be used for sport and other leisure activities. Under flood conditions water is held back by one side of the embankment.
The embankment is believed to have been built prior to 1947. It was refurbished by the Environment Agency in 2012 and in 2017. The earth embankment was in a poor condition, so was replaced with buried sheet piles topped with topsoil and reseeded to form a new embankment.
An existing flood relief channel, known as the Battle Bourne flood relief channel, runs to the north of the embankment. A stretch of the relief channel was diverted towards the west during the refurbishment works to minimise the impact of sheet piling on tree roots.
Along the length of the embankment, soakaways have been excavated into the natural river gravels to allow for drainage.
The embankment helps better protect approximately 700 properties in Old Windsor from flooding from the River Thames and the Battle Bourne tributary. There are more plans to better protect properties in this area as part of the Datchet to Hythe End flood improvement measures.
View of the Battle Bourne from the embankment showing tree planting and seeded area.
Find out if you’re at risk of flooding
To stay aware of the risk of flooding in your area, sign up for flood alerts and warnings. For more information visit the Flooding and extreme weather page or call Floodline on 0345 988 1188.
Visit the Met Office website for local weather forecasts.
Contact
For further information, or to provide feedback contact:
- email THM.Schemes@environment-agency.gov.uk
- call the Environment Agency customer contact centre on 03708 506 506
- call Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead on 01628 683 800
If you are concerned about a pollution incident or a blockage in the river, call the Environment Agency’s 24-hour hotline on 0800 80 70 60.