Damp proofing in Thorne and Hatfield, Doncaster

Few parts of Doncaster are as shaped by water as the north-east of the borough. The land around Thorne and Hatfield was drained nearly 400 years ago and still depends on drains and pumps. This guide explains why that matters when a wall or floor here will not dry out, and what a good damp survey should look at. It is general information, not a diagnosis.

Drained land that still needs pumping

The drainage of Hatfield Chase was substantially completed by 1628. Vermuyden’s scheme blocked the eastern branch of the Don, diverted the Idle into the Trent and embanked and straightened the Torne, and a new channel cut to the Ouse at Goole in the 1630s later became the Dutch River. Today an internal drainage board runs nine pumping stations on the Chase, and a steam pumping station at Dirtness was working by 1865 (Wikipedia: Hatfield Chase). The Environment Agency says Dirtness pump station is Grade II listed, originally built in 1867 (Environment Agency: Dirtness rationalisation scheme).

Natural England’s profile of the Humberhead Levels says the farmland here is maintained by pumping to keep the water table down, and that some land is at or below the mean high water mark (Natural England: NCA 39 Humberhead Levels). The local board, Doncaster East Internal Drainage Board, covers 21,955 hectares and maintains 313.3 kilometres of watercourses, with divisions including Hatfield Chase, Hatfield and Stainforth, and Thorne and Ealand (Doncaster East IDB).

The council’s Section 19 flood investigation sums up the eastern levels: with a relatively high water table and a low drainage margin, the area generally needs positive drainage. For a house, that means the ground under and around it may be wetter for longer than in higher parts of the borough, and that ground moisture should be ruled in or out before anyone blames the damp proof course.

November 2019: Fishlake and Stainforth

The Section 19 report records 51 to 88mm of rain over about 24 hours from 7 November 2019, falling on ground that was already saturated: the Don catchment had its wettest five-month period ending October since 1891. Within Fishlake, 173 properties are recorded as flooded after the Riverside Bank overtopped from early on 8 November, just upstream and downstream of Stainforth Bridge. Most of Fishlake is in Flood Zone 3, and the report lists earlier major floods there going back to 1697. Over 2,000 residents across the borough were advised to evacuate, and rest centres were set up in areas including Fishlake and Stainforth. It also records a few properties in Stainforth, Thorne and Moorends affected by surface water and high drain levels (Doncaster Council: Section 19 flood investigation report, PDF).

The Environment Agency said on 14 November 2019 that 38 pumps were working across South Yorkshire, at eight locations in the Fishlake area, moving 50 million litres of water an hour, and that water in the village had fallen from 2m to 0.3m (GOV.UK, November 2019).

If your home flooded in 2019 and walls, floors or skirting still feel damp, read damp after flooding in Doncaster before replastering or paying for a new damp proof course.

Peat moors and colliery villages

Thorne and Hatfield Moors are described as the largest area of lowland raised peat bog in the UK. Commercial peat cutting began in the 1880s and effectively ended in 2001, and since 2005 part of Thorne Moors has been a National Nature Reserve (Wikipedia: Thorne Moors; Wikipedia: Hatfield Moors).

The coal came later. Thorne Colliery’s workings were inundated with water soon after sinking began around 1909, and ground freezing was used to get through. Coal was reached in 1924 and production ended in 1958 (Wikipedia: Thorne Colliery). Moorends grew up with housing built for the miners at Thorne Colliery, and sits about 2m above sea level on the edge of Thorne Moors (Wikipedia: Moorends). Hatfield Colliery’s first shaft was completed in 1916, and the pit finally shut at the end of June 2015 (Wikipedia: Hatfield Colliery).

The older centres are protected too. The government’s planning data lists conservation areas for Thorne (Central) and Fishlake (planning.data.gov.uk: Thorne Central; Fishlake). In a conservation area, check with City of Doncaster Council before changing walls, windows or render.

What this means for damp in your home

Damp low on ground-floor walls. On low, wet ground, a damp proof course is easily bridged by soil, raised paths or patio levels, or by render taken down to the ground. Check these and the air bricks before accepting a diagnosis of rising damp. See rising damp and damp proof courses.
Damp suspended floors and musty smells. A high water table and blocked or buried air bricks can keep the void under a timber floor damp, which can lead to rot. Make sure air bricks are clear on every side of the house.
Wet cellars and solid floors. Below-ground rooms and old solid floors are the first to show high groundwater. Tanking or a drainage membrane needs a plan for where the water goes. See cellar damp and tanking in Doncaster.
Mould on cold walls and windows. A house drying out after a flood gives off a lot of moisture. Mould in corners and on window reveals is usually condensation. See condensation or rising damp? and black mould removal and causes.
Patches that follow rain. Exposed gables on flat, open land take a lot of wind-driven rain. Check gutters, pointing and render first. See penetrating damp.
Cracks as well as damp. This was a mining area. If you think coal mining subsidence is to blame, the GOV.UK guide to your rights explains how claims work.

What to check yourself

Look at your address on GOV.UK: check your long term flood risk, which covers rivers, surface water and, where data is available, groundwater for your area.
Sign up for free Environment Agency flood warnings by call, text or email.
Walk round the outside: are the ground and paths below the damp proof course, are air bricks clear, and do gutters and downpipes run freely?
Note when the damp is worst: through wet seasons, after rain, or after cooking and showers.

When to get a damp survey, and what a good one covers

Get a survey if the damp keeps returning, if plaster is blowing or salts are coming through, if you are buying, or if someone has recommended treatment without explaining the cause. In this area a good surveyor should ask about past flooding, look at ground levels and drainage outside, check the floor void and air bricks, take moisture readings, and explain in writing whether the moisture is coming from the ground, from rain, from a leak or from condensation. Our damp survey guide explains what the report should include. 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 the seasons or after rain, and whether the house flooded in 2019 or before. 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.

Sources and further reading

Wikipedia: Hatfield Chase; Environment Agency: Dirtness rationalisation scheme; Natural England: NCA 39 Humberhead Levels profile; Doncaster East Internal Drainage Board; Doncaster Council: Section 19 flood investigation report, September 2020 (PDF); GOV.UK: pumping operation continues to reduce flood water levels in Fishlake; Wikipedia: Thorne Moors; Wikipedia: Hatfield Moors; Wikipedia: Thorne Colliery; Wikipedia: Moorends; Wikipedia: Hatfield Colliery; planning.data.gov.uk: Thorne Central conservation area; planning.data.gov.uk: Fishlake conservation area; GOV.UK: coal mining subsidence damage, a guide to your rights; GOV.UK: check your long term flood risk; GOV.UK: sign up for flood warnings.

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Frequently asked questions

How many homes flooded in Fishlake in November 2019?

The council’s Section 19 flood investigation records 173 properties flooded within Fishlake, after the Riverside Bank of the River Don overtopped near Stainforth Bridge on 8 November 2019.

Does a high water table mean my Thorne or Hatfield house has rising damp?

Not on its own. Wet ground can keep floor voids, cellars and the base of walls damper, but bridged damp proof courses, blocked air bricks, leaks and condensation are common too. Ask for the cause to be established and explained in writing before any treatment.

Who looks after the drains and pumps around Thorne and Hatfield?

Doncaster East Internal Drainage Board manages water levels across much of the area, including its Hatfield Chase, Hatfield and Stainforth, and Thorne and Ealand divisions. The Environment Agency is responsible for main rivers such as the Don.

My house flooded in 2019 and still smells musty. What should I do?

Check that air bricks are clear and the floor void is ventilated, and do not replaster or lay new flooring until walls and floors have dried out. Our guide to damp after flooding explains how to tell when a house is ready, and a survey can confirm it.