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Kings Mill water level

River gauge, River Cherwell, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom

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Right now

Very low for mid-October

Water level

1.59m Steady over the last 24 hours

1.5 2.0 2.5 Highest onrecord 2.79 m Lowest on record 1.23 m

History

History
1.82.02.3mOct 12Oct 12Oct 12Oct 13Oct 13Top of normal rangeBottom of normal range1.82.02.3mOct 12Oct 12Oct 13Top of normal rangeBottom of normal range
1.52.0mSep 19Sep 25Oct 1Oct 7Oct 13Top of normal rangeBottom of normal range1.52.0mSep 19Oct 1Oct 13Top of normal rangeBottom of normal range
1.52.0mOct 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Oct 2026Top of normal rangeBottom of normal range1.52.0mOct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026Top of normal rangeBottom of normal range
1.51.82.02.3mJanMarMayJulSepNov20261.51.82.02.3mJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

At 1.59 m, the River Cherwell at Kings Mill is far below normal for mid-October.

The median for mid-October is 1.79 m, based on 21 years of readings, so the river level is 0.19 m below typical. On the same day last year the reading was 1.69 m, a difference of −0.10 m. The lowest reading on record is 1.23 m (August 20, 2003).

It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. Over the past 30 days it has moved between 1.48 m and 1.60 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
1.79 m0.19 m below the median for this date
Normal for this date
1.69 m – 1.98 m8 years in 10 fall in this range (21 years of records)
Normal range
1.63 m – 2.40 m
Same day last year
1.69 m−0.10 m
Lowest and highest in 30 days
1.48 m – 1.60 m
Lowest and highest in 12 months
1.40 m – 2.24 m
Highest on record
2.79 mNovember 27, 2024
Lowest on record
1.23 mAugust 20, 2003

On the river at Kings Mill

Low, clear water makes fish wary, and anglers often do better early and late in the day. For canoeists, shallow riffles mean scraped hulls and the odd portage.

Flood warnings for the area come from the Environment Agency.

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 07:36 AM Sunset 06:05 PM Daylight 10 hr, 29 min First quarter 56%

Map

Other gauges on the River Cherwell

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Oxford Botanical GardensRiver gauge, River Cherwell 4.64 m Lowest on record ±0 0.8 km
ThruppRiver gauge, River Cherwell 0.79 m Normal ±0 10 km
Enslow Weir ARiver gauge, River Cherwell 0.15 m Very low ±0 13 km
Heyford BridgeRiver gauge, River Cherwell 0.31 m Very low ±0 19 km
BanburyRiver gauge, River Cherwell 0.11 m Normal +0.02 m 35 km
Cropredy BridgeRiver gauge, River Cherwell 0.95 m Very low ±0 40 km
Woodford HalseRiver gauge, River Cherwell 0.96 m Normal +0.02 m 46 km

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Hinksey LakeRiver gauge, Hinksey Stream 0.15 m Lowest on record ±0 2.3 km
Osney LockRiver gauge, River Thames −0.01 m Normal ±0 2.5 km
Cold HarbourRiver gauge, Hinksey Stream 0.82 m Very low ±0 2.9 km
New BotleyRiver gauge, Bulstake Stream 0.78 m Very low ±0 2.9 km
Iffley LockRiver gauge, River Thames 0.07 m Low ±0 3.0 km
Minns EstateRiver gauge, Seacourt Stream 1.08 m Normal ±0 3.5 km
Godstow LockRiver gauge, River Thames −0.16 m Very low +0.01 m 4.7 km
Sandford-on-ThamesRiver gauge, River Thames 0.07 m Normal ±0 5.3 km

Questions and answers

Is the River Cherwell at Kings Mill higher than last year?

No, it is 0.10 m lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 1.69 m.

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

The median for mid-October is 1.79 m. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 1.69 m and 1.98 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 1.59 m on the gauge does not mean the water is that deep.

What is the water level of Kings Mill today?

On 13 Oct 2026, 15:45 BST, the water level was 1.59 m. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Kings Mill rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours. Up 0.11 m over the last 7 days.

Is the level of Kings Mill 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 Kings Mill?

The highest level on record is 2.79 m on November 27, 2024. The lowest is 1.23 m on August 20, 2003.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
Environment Agency
Station code
ea:1491TH (Agency page)
Coordinates
51.75625, -1.23876 (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 1.59 m 2026-10-13 14:45 Provisional

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How to cite

Environment Agency: Kings Mill (ea:1491TH). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-kingdom/oxfordshire/kings-mill

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.