Damp proofing in Bentley, Doncaster: DN5 homes and flooding

Bentley is a suburb about two miles north of Doncaster city centre, on the River Don. The Bentley ward also takes in Arksey, Shaftholme, Toll Bar and part of Scawthorpe, and had a population of 18,195 at the 2021 census (Wikipedia: Bentley). Few parts of the borough have been flooded as often, and that history matters when a wall, floor or cellar here will not dry out. This guide explains what is different about Bentley, what to check before anyone quotes for damp proofing and which of our other guides fit your home. It is general information, not a diagnosis.

Low ground between the Don and Ea Beck

A council business case for a Bentley flood scheme (May 2021) says flood risk here is dominated by the River Don to the south and Ea Beck to the north, and that most of Bentley is designated Flood Zone 3. The council’s Section 19 flood investigation describes the local soils as “loamy and clayey floodplain soils with naturally high groundwater”, and notes that drains shown on 1850s maps, including Bentley Ings Drain, Bentley Town Drain and Mill Dike, are still there today.

Bentley also depends on pumping. The Environment Agency’s refurbished Bentley pumping station, opened in 2022, gives greater protection to 1,699 homes and businesses. The Environment Agency says it is used almost daily, not just in floods, because subsidence from 20th-century coal mining means it runs nearly every day even in dry weather (GOV.UK, March 2022).

None of this means a Bentley house will be damp. It does mean that ground moisture, drainage and flood history should be checked before anyone blames a failed damp proof course.

Flooding in 2007 and 2019

In June 2007 Ea Beck overtopped its banks and flooded Toll Bar and Bentley. Toll Bar is particularly prone to flooding because of subsidence, and was also flooded in 1931, 1932, 1941 and 1958 (Wikipedia: Ea Beck). The Environment Agency says the old Bentley pumping station itself flooded in 2007.

In November 2019 Bentley residents were asked to leave their homes (Wikipedia: 2019–20 UK floods). The council’s Section 19 report records 356 properties flooded in the Bentley ward, 326 of them in Bentley (South) and 30 in Bentley (North), plus 56 in the Scawthorpe ward. The River Don overtopped the riverside barrier bank at Willow Bridge for about 11 hours, flooding homes from Riviera Parade and Hunt Lane through to Frank Road. Ea Beck also filled the Bentley flood corridor, which restricted local drainage, and the usual Bentley Ings pumping station was off-line for refurbishment at the time.

If your home flooded in 2007 or 2019 and a wall or floor has never quite dried, read damp after flooding in Doncaster. Walls, floor voids and solid floors can hold water long after the surface looks dry, and plaster put back too soon can trap it.

Bentley’s houses: colliery village to suburb

Bentley Colliery worked from 1906 to 1993, and the colliery company built Bentley New Village, which still stands, to house its workers (Wikipedia: Bentley Colliery). Scawthorpe grew after the colliery opened (Wikipedia: Scawthorpe). Arksey is older than the Domesday Book, and its Church of All Saints is Grade I listed and dates back to the 1120s (Wikipedia: Arksey). Arksey was designated a conservation area on 8 October 1990, centred on the church and extending along Ings Lane and towards Arksey Hall (City of Doncaster Council: Arksey conservation area).

So within one ward you can find older village buildings, colliery-era housing and later estates. Each tends to get damp in its own way, which is why the cause needs pinning down for your house, not the street.

Damp problems to rule out in a Bentley home

Damp low on walls. On wet ground, check that the damp proof course is not bridged by raised paths, soil or render, and that air bricks are clear, before anyone suggests an injection. See rising damp and damp proof courses.
Damp floors, voids and cellars. High groundwater and slow drainage can keep floor voids and below-ground rooms damp. See cellar damp and tanking in Doncaster.
Damp that follows rain. Gutters, downpipes, render and pointing come first. See penetrating damp.
Mould in corners and on window reveals. Usually condensation, especially in homes still drying out after a flood. See condensation or rising damp? and black mould removal and causes.
Cracks as well as damp. Cracks can let rain into a wall. If you think coal mining subsidence is the cause, the GOV.UK guide to your rights explains how to claim and says claims must be made within 6 years of the damage becoming apparent.

Before you agree any work

Check your address on GOV.UK: check your long term flood risk and tell the surveyor about any past flooding.
Ask how the cause was established, with moisture readings and photos in a written report. Our damp survey guide explains what a report should include.
In the Arksey conservation area, check with City of Doncaster Council before changing walls, windows or render.
If you rent, report damp and mould to your landlord in writing. See damp and mould in rented homes in Doncaster.

What to tell us

Use the enquiry form with your postcode, the type and rough age of your home, where the damp is, whether it changes with rain or cold weather, and whether the house has flooded. With your consent, we will pass your enquiry to a local damp and mould professional who can talk it through and, if needed, arrange a survey and written quote. For the rest of the borough, see Doncaster areas and DN postcodes, or our guides to Thorne and Hatfield and Conisbrough and Mexborough, which were also flooded in 2019.

Sources and further reading

Wikipedia: Bentley, South Yorkshire; City of Doncaster Council: Bentley flood alleviation scheme business case, May 2021 (PDF); Doncaster Council: Section 19 flood investigation report, September 2020 (PDF); GOV.UK: refurbished pumping station makes Doncaster more resilient to climate change; Wikipedia: Ea Beck; Wikipedia: 2019–20 United Kingdom floods; Wikipedia: Bentley Colliery; Wikipedia: Scawthorpe; Wikipedia: Arksey; City of Doncaster Council: Arksey conservation area; GOV.UK: coal mining subsidence damage, a guide to your rights; GOV.UK: check your long term flood risk.

Areas we cover

Related guides

Frequently asked questions

Was Bentley flooded in November 2019?

Yes. Residents were asked to leave their homes, and the council's Section 19 flood investigation records 356 properties flooded in the Bentley ward, 326 of them in Bentley (South), plus 56 in the Scawthorpe ward. Toll Bar and Bentley were also flooded by Ea Beck in June 2007.

Does living in Flood Zone 3 mean my house will be damp?

No. A flood zone describes flood risk for an area, not the condition of a particular house. But wet ground, high groundwater and past floods are worth mentioning to any surveyor, because they change what should be checked before a treatment is suggested.

Is damp low on the walls in Bentley usually rising damp?

Not necessarily. Raised paths or soil against the wall, blocked air bricks, leaks and a house still drying out after a flood can all look like rising damp. Ask for the cause to be established and explained in writing before agreeing to an injected damp proof course.

I live in the Arksey conservation area. Do I need permission for damp work?

Arksey has been a conservation area since 1990, and All Saints Church is Grade I listed. Check with City of Doncaster Council before changing walls, windows or render, and ask any surveyor whether their advice suits an older building.