With the UK experiencing its wettest autumn/winter for many years the impact of flooding on historic buildings, especially industrial sites such as the Museum of Making in Derby, is once more in the news.

As Historic England notes, ‘flooding is one of the most significant risks to historic buildings from climate change’. Furthermore, many historic buildings ‘are in areas where there is a chance of river or coastal flooding or at risk from surface-water, groundwater, or sewer flooding’. Hundreds of industrial archaeology and heritage sites are at particular risk due to their past, and in many cases current, use of water power from rivers, ponds, lodges, and reservoirs.

Historic England has compiled extensive guidance on the impact and mitigation of flooding in all its forms on historic buildings, from emergency planning to adaptation and repair strategies. If your industrial heritage site could be flooded you can learn more on how to mitigate its effects here:

See: https://historicengland.org.uk/advice/technical-advice/flooding-and-historic-buildings/

Historic Environment Scotland also has advice on how to deal with climate change and flooding here: https://www.historicenvironment.scot/archives-and-research/publications/publication/?publicationid=13349883-20bf-48ec-afd9-a59500e9a44e

As does CADW, here: https://cadw.gov.wales/advice-support/climate-change