How Noisy?

Road & rail noise map for Watlington

Town in Oxfordshire, South East

We analysed 249 postcodes in and around Watlington, Oxfordshire against DEFRA's Strategic Noise Mapping (Round 4, 2022). 30% of them (74) have mapped road noise of 55 dB or more by day, and 0% have mapped rail noise. 70% 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 OX49 5NF (road noise 65.0–69.9 dB by day).

Noise map of Watlington

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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 night20% (50)11% (28)
60.0–64.9 dB day · 55.0–59.9 dB night9% (22)5% (13)
65.0–69.9 dB day · 60.0–64.9 dB night<1% (2)<1% (1)
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 mapped70%83%

Rail noise

BandDay (LAeq,16h)Night (Lnight)
55.0–59.9 dB day · 50.0–54.9 dB night0% (0)0% (0)
60.0–64.9 dB day · 55.0–59.9 dB night0% (0)0% (0)
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 mapped100%100%

Share of the 249 postcodes within ~5 km of the Watlington centre. Source: DEFRA Strategic Noise Mapping Round 4 (2022), Open Government Licence.

Noisiest postcodes in and around Watlington

Check a specific postcode

Example searches: OX49 5NF · OX49 5DT · OX49 5BT · OX49 5BA · OX49 5DQ · OX49 5BY

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 Watlington?
We analysed 249 postcodes in and around Watlington, Oxfordshire against DEFRA's Strategic Noise Mapping (Round 4, 2022). 30% of them (74) have mapped road noise of 55 dB or more by day, and 0% have mapped rail noise. 70% 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 OX49 5NF (road noise 65.0–69.9 dB by day).
Where is the most road noise in Watlington?
The postcodes with the highest modelled daytime levels in and around Watlington are OX49 5NF, OX49 5DT, OX49 5JW, based on DEFRA's 2022 model of major roads and railways.