Heavy rain has led to 107 flood warnings across much of England and parts of Wales

This article is more than 10 months old

This article is more than 10 months old

Flood barriers have been erected in the historic town of Stratford-upon-Avon after more than 100 warnings were issued across the country as a result of wet weather.

The Environment Agency (EA) took steps to protect some of the key sites associated with William Shakespeare, including the Royal Shakespeare Theatre on the banks of the Avon.

UK flooding: residents of South Yorkshire brace for more rain Read more

The 15th-century cottage that once belonged to the Bard’s wife, Anne Hathaway, has been photographed next to a flooded road after the latest downpour.

Locals said there was concern about Shakespeare’s funerary monument in Holy Trinity church, which is close to the river.

Warwickshire police tweeted footage of flood barriers being erected along Waterside in the town on Friday.

Warwickshire Police (@warkspolice) #Flood barriers are currently going up along Waterside in #Stratford with @StratfordCops lending a hand to @EnvAgencyMids partners. Stay #floodaware and keep up-to-date with the latest in your area here: https://t.co/SjjtMk5KQo pic.twitter.com/MOJtv1UUbK

John Curtin, the EA’s executive director of flood and coastal risk management, said 25-30 properties near the River Avon in Evesham, Worcestershire, had been flooded.

Describing it as the latest flooding “live hotspot”, he said the river was currently at four metres. “The rain last night went through some of the smaller villages in Warwickshire and the rain is moving down towards Evesham,” he said.

A spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said no sites of national interest were at direct risk from flooding in Stratford this weekend.

Some places in the UK are close to having their wettest autumn on record. The recent rains have led to flooded roads and travel disruption, with 107 flood warnings in place across much of England and parts of Wales.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest A farm in Bardney, near Lincoln, is marooned by flood water after the Barlings Eau broke its banks. Photograph: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Fishlake, near Doncaster, has been one of the worst affected, with hundreds of homes submerged after the downpours that started last week.

Curtin told a briefing in Westminster that the authorities were braced for further flooding and had a team on standby.

“A number of our frontline teams are now rostered all the way through Christmas already,” he said. “We don’t want people to think it happened to Fishlake, it won’t happen to me. Today it is Evesham, tomorrow where next?”

In Gloucester a video emerged of a bus driving on a flooded road, with water entering the vehicle as it passed through.

Images released by Derbyshire police’s drone unit showed waterlogged fields around Ambaston village.

Herefordshire and Worcestershire fire and rescue service said it had assisted 97 people and a dog in 43 weather-related incidents.

Will Lang, the head of civil contingencies at the Met Office, said: “Some places are close to having their wettest autumn on record and we have two more weeks of November to go.”

Leaders of councils in northern England have called for “massive” increases in funding to deal with serious flooding incidents.

• This article was amended on 18 November 2019 to correct a misspelling of Stratford-upon-Avon.