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Banbury water level

River gauge, River Cherwell, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom

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Right now

Low for mid-October

Water level

0.09m Steady over the last 24 hours

0 1 2 Highest onrecord 2.39 m Lowest on record 0.00 m

History

History
-0.00.10.20.3mOct 12Oct 14Oct 16Oct 17Oct 19Bottom of normal range-0.00.10.20.3mOct 12Oct 16Oct 19Bottom of normal range
-0.00.10.20.3mSep 19Sep 27Oct 4Oct 12Oct 19Bottom of normal range-0.00.10.20.3mSep 19Oct 4Oct 19Bottom of normal range
-0.00.51.0mOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Top of normal rangeBottom of normal range-0.00.51.0mOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Top of normal rangeBottom of normal range
-0.00.51.0mJanMarMayJulSepNov2026-0.00.51.0mJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

Low water at Banbury: the gauge reads 0.09 m, below normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 0.14 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 0.11 m, a difference of −0.02 m.

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 0.06 m – 0.15 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
0.14 m0.05 m below the median for this date
Normal for this date
0.06 m – 0.35 m8 years in 10 fall in this range (21 years of records)
Normal range
0.02 m – 1.14 m
Same day last year
0.11 m−0.02 m
Lowest and highest in 30 days
0.06 m – 0.15 m
Lowest and highest in 12 months
0.05 m – 1.03 m
Highest on record
2.39 mJuly 21, 2007
Lowest on record
0.00 mJuly 14, 1989

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 Cherwell

River Cherwell

The River Cherwell is a tributary of the River Thames in central England. It rises near Hellidon, Northamptonshire and flows southwards for 40 miles (64 km) to meet the Thames at Oxford in Oxfordshire.

Read more on Wikipedia

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

Weather at the gauge

The forecast is not available right now.

Sunrise 07:37 AM Sunset 06:05 PM Daylight 10 hr, 28 min First quarter 59%

Map

Other gauges on the River Cherwell

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Cropredy BridgeRiver gauge, River Cherwell 0.95 m Very low ±0 5.5 km
Woodford HalseRiver gauge, River Cherwell 0.95 m Normal ±0 14 km
Heyford BridgeRiver gauge, River Cherwell 0.31 m Very low ±0 16 km
Enslow Weir ARiver gauge, River Cherwell 0.15 m Very low ±0 23 km
ThruppRiver gauge, River Cherwell 0.79 m Normal ±0 25 km
Kings MillRiver gauge, River Cherwell 1.59 m Very low ±0 35 km
Oxford Botanical GardensRiver gauge, River Cherwell 4.65 m Lowest on record ±0 36 km

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Huscote FASRiver gauge 1.10 m Normal ±0 1.8 km
Hardwick FASRiver gauge 1.09 m Normal ±0 1.9 km
BodicoteRiver gauge, Sor Brook 0.06 m Low ±0 4.2 km
BloxhamRiver gauge, Bloxham Brook 0.59 m Lowest on record ±0 6.4 km
BrackleyRiver gauge, River Great Ouse 0.21 m Normal +0.01 m 14 km
ShipstonRiver gauge, River Stour 0.28 m Normal +0.02 m 20 km
WaltonRiver gauge, River Dene 0.22 m Low −0.01 m 21 km

Questions and answers

Is the River Cherwell at Banbury higher than last year?

No, it is 0.02 m lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 0.11 m.

What is a normal level for the River Cherwell at Banbury in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 0.14 m. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.06 m and 0.35 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 0.09 m on the gauge does not mean the water is that deep.

What is the water level of Banbury today?

On 19 Oct 2026, 14:00 BST, the water level was 0.09 m. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Banbury rising or falling?

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

Is the level of Banbury normal?

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 Banbury?

The highest level on record is 2.39 m on July 21, 2007. The lowest is 0.00 m on July 14, 1989.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
Environment Agency
Station code
ea:1420TH (Agency page)
Coordinates
52.06638, -1.33329 (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 0.09 m 2026-10-19 13:00 Provisional

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How to cite

Environment Agency: Banbury (ea:1420TH). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-kingdom/oxfordshire/banbury

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.