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Dovecote Hill water level

River gauge, River Gaunless, Durham, United Kingdom

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Right now

Very low for mid-October

Water level

0.46m Steady over the last 24 hours

1 2 3 Highest onrecord 2.79 m Lowest on record 0.38 m

History

History
0.50.60.7mOct 11Oct 13Oct 15Oct 16Oct 18Bottom of normal range0.50.60.7mOct 11Oct 15Oct 18Bottom of normal range
0.50.60.7mSep 18Sep 26Oct 3Oct 11Oct 18Bottom of normal range0.50.60.7mSep 18Oct 3Oct 18Bottom of normal range
24mOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Top of normal rangeBottom of normal range24mOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Top of normal rangeBottom of normal range
24mJanMarMayJulSepNov202624mJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

Water level Normal range (10–90 %) Top of normal rangeBottom of normal range

What this means

Low water at Dovecote Hill: the gauge reads 0.46 m, far below normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 0.51 m, based on 21 years of readings, so the river level is 0.05 m below typical. On the same day last year the reading was 0.44 m, a difference of +0.02 m. The lowest reading on record is 0.38 m (November 24, 2003).

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 0.46 m – 0.49 m.

Autumn rain usually starts to lift rivers again after the summer low.

Compared with 21 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels

Key numbers

Median for this date
0.51 m0.05 m below the median for this date
Normal for this date
0.47 m – 0.70 m8 years in 10 fall in this range (21 years of records)
Normal range
0.47 m – 2.20 m
Same day last year
0.44 m+0.02 m
Lowest and highest in 30 days
0.46 m – 0.49 m
Lowest and highest in 12 months
0.44 m – 4.49 m
Highest on record
2.79 mAugust 20, 2004
Lowest on record
0.38 mNovember 24, 2003

For anglers and canoeists

Low rivers are hard going for paddlers, with exposed gravel and weirs that are awkward to shoot. Salmon and sea trout usually wait for the next spate to run.

Many angling and canoe clubs check gauges like this one before heading out.

About the River Gaunless

River Gaunless

The Gaunless is a tributary river of the Wear in County Durham, England. Its name is Old Norse, meaning "useless". The Gaunless Viaduct, built in 1825, was the tallest viaduct on the South Durham & Lancashire Union Railway.

Read more on Wikipedia

Text and image from Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA.

Weather at the gauge

No rain in the last 3 days.

18 Sun 11° 5° 0.2 mm, 45% Wind 15 km/h
19 Mon 15° 5° 0.1 mm, 87% Wind 18 km/h
20 Tue 11° 9° 12 mm, 62% Wind 14 km/h
21 Wed 11° 7° 3.1 mm, 62% Wind 20 km/h
22 Thu 11° 3° 0.9 mm, 51% Wind 16 km/h
23 Fri 7° 2° – Wind 21 km/h
24 Sat 9° 3° – Wind 33 km/h

Forecast: Open-Meteo

Sunrise 07:41 AM Sunset 06:04 PM Daylight 10 hr, 22 min First quarter 50%

Map

Other gauges on the River Gaunless

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
South ChurchRiver gauge, River Gaunless 0.05 m Lowest on record ±0 0.8 km
West AucklandRiver gauge, River Gaunless 0.13 m Normal ±0 3.3 km
Spring Gardens DamRiver gauge, River Gaunless 0.10 m Lowest on record ±0 4.7 km
Ramshaw MillRiver gauge, River Gaunless 0.07 m Very low ±0 5.7 km
LowlandsRiver gauge, River Gaunless 0.08 m Normal ±0 8.2 km
CopleyRiver gauge, River Gaunless 0.07 m Very low ±0 13 km

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Oakley Cross BeckRiver gauge 0.20 m Low ±0 4.0 km
Witton ParkRiver gauge, River Wear 0.31 m Very low ±0 4.8 km
Crook West Bridge StreetRiver gauge, Crook Beck 0.01 m Very low ±0 8.8 km
BedburnRiver gauge, Bedburn Beck 0.10 m Very low ±0 10 km
Sunderland BridgeRiver gauge, River Wear 0.26 m Very low ±0 11 km

Questions and answers

Is the River Gaunless at Dovecote Hill higher than last year?

Yes, it is 0.02 m higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 0.44 m.

What is a normal level for the River Gaunless at Dovecote Hill in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 0.51 m. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.47 m and 0.70 m, based on 21 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 0.46 m on the gauge does not mean the water is that deep.

What is the water level of Dovecote Hill today?

On 18 Oct 2026, 14:45 BST, the water level was 0.46 m. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Dovecote Hill rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Dovecote Hill normal?

Very low for mid-October. Compared with 21 years of daily readings for this time of year.

What is the highest water level ever recorded at Dovecote Hill?

The highest level on record is 2.79 m on August 20, 2004. The lowest is 0.38 m on November 24, 2003.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
Environment Agency
Station code
ea:024016 (Agency page)
Coordinates
54.64665, -1.67299 (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

ParameterLast valueTime (UTC)Quality
Water level 0.46 m 2026-10-18 13:45 Provisional

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How to cite

Environment Agency: Dovecote Hill (ea:024016). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-kingdom/durham/dovecote-hill

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.