How Noisy?

Road & rail noise map for Herne Bay

Town in Kent, South East

We analysed 1,089 postcodes in and around Herne Bay, Kent against DEFRA's Strategic Noise Mapping (Round 4, 2022). 26% of them (283) have mapped road noise of 55 dB or more by day, and <1% have mapped rail noise. 73% of postcodes have no mapped road or rail noise at all — though that reflects major-source modelling, not guaranteed quiet. The highest modelled level we found is at CT6 6LB (road noise 65.0–69.9 dB by day).

Noise map of Herne Bay

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55-59 dB60-64 dB65-69 dB70-74 dB75 dB+Unshaded = below the mapping threshold or not modelled (not necessarily quiet).

How many postcodes are affected?

Road noise

BandDay (LAeq,16h)Night (Lnight)
55.0–59.9 dB day · 50.0–54.9 dB night18% (192)6% (66)
60.0–64.9 dB day · 55.0–59.9 dB night7% (73)4% (47)
65.0–69.9 dB day · 60.0–64.9 dB night2% (18)<1% (8)
70.0–74.9 dB day · 65.0–69.9 dB night0% (0)0% (0)
75.0 dB or more day · 70.0 dB or more night0% (0)0% (0)
Below mapped bands / not mapped74%89%

Rail noise

BandDay (LAeq,16h)Night (Lnight)
55.0–59.9 dB day · 50.0–54.9 dB night<1% (8)<1% (9)
60.0–64.9 dB day · 55.0–59.9 dB night0% (0)<1% (1)
65.0–69.9 dB day · 60.0–64.9 dB night0% (0)0% (0)
70.0–74.9 dB day · 65.0–69.9 dB night0% (0)0% (0)
75.0 dB or more day · 70.0 dB or more night0% (0)0% (0)
Below mapped bands / not mapped99%99%

Share of the 1,089 postcodes within ~5 km of the Herne Bay centre. Source: DEFRA Strategic Noise Mapping Round 4 (2022), Open Government Licence.

Noisiest postcodes in and around Herne Bay

Check a specific postcode

Example searches: CT6 5LG · CT6 5LJ · CT6 5AQ · CT6 5JX · CT6 5AJ · CT6 5LZ

What this data does — and doesn't — cover

  • Modelled, not measured.These are DEFRA's computer-modelled estimates (Round 4, 2022), not microphone readings at your door.
  • Major sources only. The model covers major roads, major railways and large urban areas. Smaller local roads, neighbours, pubs, building sites and aircraft are not included.
  • No mapped noise ≠ quiet. If a location shows no band, it means it falls outside the mapped contours — not that it is silent.
  • 2022 snapshot.New roads, developments or traffic changes since 2022 won't show. The next DEFRA round is due around 2027.

More detail on the methodology page.

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Nearby areas

Frequently asked questions

How noisy is Herne Bay?
We analysed 1,089 postcodes in and around Herne Bay, Kent against DEFRA's Strategic Noise Mapping (Round 4, 2022). 26% of them (283) have mapped road noise of 55 dB or more by day, and <1% have mapped rail noise. 73% of postcodes have no mapped road or rail noise at all — though that reflects major-source modelling, not guaranteed quiet. The highest modelled level we found is at CT6 6LB (road noise 65.0–69.9 dB by day).
Where is the most road noise in Herne Bay?
The postcodes with the highest modelled daytime levels in and around Herne Bay are CT6 6LB, CT6 7HJ, CT6 7HQ, based on DEFRA's 2022 model of major roads and railways.