Maiden Newton water level
River gauge, River Frome, Dorset, United Kingdom
Right now
Low for mid-October
Water level
History
20252026
What this means
The River Frome at Maiden Newton is running below normal at 0.19 m.
That puts it 0.05 m below the median of 0.23 m for mid-October, based on 13 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 0.20 m (−0.02 m).
The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 0.17 m and 0.28 m.
Autumn rain usually starts to lift rivers again after the summer low.
Compared with 13 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels
Key numbers
- Median for this date
- 0.23 m0.05 m below the median for this date
- Normal for this date
- 0.18 m – 0.40 m8 years in 10 fall in this range (13 years of records)
- Normal range
- 0.02 m – 0.74 m
- Same day last year
- 0.20 m−0.02 m
- Lowest and highest in 30 days
- 0.17 m – 0.28 m
- Lowest and highest in 12 months
- −0.39 m – 0.92 m
- Highest on record
- 2.07 mJuly 7, 2012
- Lowest on record
- 0.05 mSeptember 4, 2013
Fishing and paddling
At low levels, many rivers become a walk-and-paddle trip. Fish hold in deeper pools and spook easily.
Flood alerts and warnings come from the Environment Agency.
About the River Frome
The River Frome is a river in Dorset in the south of England. At 30 miles (48 km) long it is the major chalkstream in southwest England. It is navigable upstream from Poole Harbour as far as the town of Wareham.
Text and image from Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA.
Weather at the gauge
Rain in the last 3 days: 4.5 mm. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.
Forecast: Open-Meteo
Map
Other gauges on the River Frome
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louds MillRiver gauge, River Frome | 0.07 m | Low | ±0 | 13 km |
| StinsfordRiver gauge, River Frome | 0.03 m | Lowest on record | ±0 | 13 km |
| East StokeRiver gauge, River Frome | 0.53 m | Very low | −0.02 m | 29 km |
| Bristol Wade StreetRiver gauge, River Frome | 5.97 m | No reference yet | −0.02 m | 76 km |
Nearby gauges
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydling St NicholasRiver gauge, Sydling Water | 0.06 m | Very low | ±0 | 4.2 km |
| Dickley DownGroundwater well | 151.68 m | Lowest on record | −0.02 m | 5.7 km |
| HookeRiver gauge, River Hooke | 0.11 m | Very low | ±0 | 6.2 km |
| Kingston RussellGroundwater well | 104.02 m | Normal | −0.02 m | 6.8 km |
| PowerstockRiver gauge, Mangerton Brook | 0.08 m | Normal | ±0 | 8.2 km |
| Winterbourne SteepletonRiver gauge | 0.05 m | Very low | ±0 | 8.6 km |
| Litton CheneyRiver gauge, Litton Cheney Stream | 0.09 m | Low | ±0 | 8.6 km |
| ChetnoleRiver gauge, River Wriggle | 0.11 m | Normal | ±0 | 11 km |
Questions and answers
How does the River Frome at Maiden Newton compare with last year?
It is 0.02 m lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 0.20 m.
What is a normal level for the River Frome at Maiden Newton in mid-October?
The median for mid-October is 0.23 m. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.18 m and 0.40 m, based on 13 years of records.
Is the river level the same as the depth of the water?
No. The reading is measured from a fixed zero mark at the gauge, so 0.19 m on the gauge does not mean the water is that deep.
What is the water level of Maiden Newton today?
On 18 Oct 2026, 13:00 BST, the water level was 0.19 m. Steady over the last 24 hours.
Is Maiden Newton rising or falling?
Steady over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.
Is the level of Maiden Newton normal?
Low for mid-October. Compared with 13 years of daily readings for this time of year.
What is the highest water level ever recorded at Maiden Newton?
The highest level on record is 2.07 m on July 7, 2012. The lowest is 0.05 m on September 4, 2013.
For specialists
Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
- Operator
- Environment Agency
- Station code
ea:44204(Agency page)- Coordinates
50.77656, -2.57435(WGS84)- Vertical datum
- station datum
- Update interval
- every 15 minutes
- Licence
- Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains Environment Agency data licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0
Published series
| Parameter | Last value | Time (UTC) | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water level | 0.19 m | 2026-10-18 12:00 | Provisional |
Download
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How to cite
Environment Agency: Maiden Newton (ea:44204). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-kingdom/dorset/maiden-newton
How we check values
Each reading is stored as published. We hold back values that jump faster than physically plausible and show the measurement time with every value.
Readings are provisional, can be delayed or wrong and are not a flood warning. Read the disclaimer