Crap Towns / Barnstaple / Pollution incidents
How often does Barnstaple get polluted?
9 serious pollution incidents have been recorded in Barnstaple or within 1 km of it since 2016, the joint 118th most of the 948 English towns that have had one. The most recent came in June 2026 and put soil and clay in the water. Soil and clay turned up in 2 of them.
| When | What | Where | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 2026 | Soil and clay | In the water | Significant |
| February 2023 | Dye and ink | In the water | Significant |
| September 2021 | An unidentified pollutant | In the water | Significant |
| June 2021 | Soil and clay | In the water | Significant |
| March 2021 | Building rubble | In the water | Significant |
| June 2019 | Diesel | In the water, on the land and in the air | Significant |
| April 2018 | Crude sewage | In the water | Significant |
| January 2017 | Suspended solids | In the water | Significant |
| March 2016 | Slurry | In the water | Significant |
| Town | Distance | Serious incidents since 2016 |
|---|---|---|
| Barnstaple | – | 9 |
| Bideford | 12.7 km | 6 |
| Crediton | 43.1 km | 4 |
| Great Torrington | 15.3 km | 3 |
| Northam | 11.8 km | 2 |
| Okehampton | 37.6 km | 1 |
| South Molton | 16.9 km | 1 |