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Blackhall Mill water level

River gauge, River Derwent, Tyne and Wear, United Kingdom

Directions

Right now

Very low for mid-October

Water level

0.05m Steady over the last 24 hours

0 1 2 Highest onrecord 2.57 m Lowest on record -0.01 m

History

History
0.10.20.3mOct 16Oct 16Oct 17Oct 18Oct 19Bottom of normal range0.10.20.3mOct 16Oct 17Oct 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
-0.00.30.50.8mJanMarMayJulSepNov2026-0.00.30.50.8mJanAprJulOct2026

20252026

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

What this means

Low water at Blackhall Mill: the gauge reads 0.05 m, far below normal for mid-October.

That puts it 0.10 m below the median of 0.16 m for mid-October, based on 21 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 0.07 m (−0.02 m). The lowest reading on record is −0.01 m (August 17, 2003).

The level has held steady over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. The 30-day range is 0.04 m – 0.06 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
0.16 m0.10 m below the median for this date
Normal for this date
0.07 m – 0.34 m8 years in 10 fall in this range (21 years of records)
Normal range
0.15 m – 1.24 m
Same day last year
0.07 m−0.02 m
Lowest and highest in 30 days
0.04 m – 0.06 m
Lowest and highest in 12 months
0.04 m – 0.85 m
Highest on record
2.57 mSeptember 6, 2008
Lowest on record
−0.01 mAugust 17, 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 Derwent

River Derwent, North East England

The River Derwent is a river which flows between the historic county boundaries of Durham and Northumberland, and in the ceremonial county of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. It then enters the Derwent Reservoir near Edmundbyers, west of Consett. The River Derwent then flows through the Derwent Gorge, past Allensford, Shotley Bridge, Blackhall Mill, Rowlands Gill, Gibside estate and the Nine Arches Viaduct near Derwenthaugh Country Park. The Derwent is a tributary of the River Tyne, which it joins at Derwenthaugh near Gateshead.

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 07:44 AM Sunset 06:01 PM Daylight 10 hr, 17 min First quarter 61%

Map

Other gauges on the River Derwent

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
Rowlands GillRiver gauge, River Derwent 0.13 m Very low ±0 4.8 km
Eddys BridgeRiver gauge, River Derwent 0.26 m Low ±0 10 km
PortinscaleRiver gauge, River Derwent 0.71 m Normal −0.06 m 93 km
Ouse BridgeRiver gauge, River Derwent 1.12 m High −0.08 m 95 km
Kingfisher, CockermouthRiver gauge, River Derwent 0.99 m Normal −0.05 m 103 km
Low MarishesRiver gauge, River Derwent 1.22 m Normal +0.03 m 106 km
MaltonRiver gauge, River Derwent 0.48 m Very low +0.01 m 108 km
Malton, A64 Road BridgeRiver gauge, River Derwent 0.35 m Normal +0.01 m 108 km
Mowthorpe Weir HeadRiver gauge, River Derwent 41.18 m Very low ±0 109 km
Kirkham SluicesRiver gauge, River Derwent 14.21 m Low +0.01 m 110 km
Forge ValleyRiver gauge, River Derwent 0.15 m Low ±0 112 km
West AytonRiver gauge, River Derwent −0.20 m Lowest on record ±0 112 km

Nearby gauges

Gauge Level Compared with normal 24 hours Distance
TanfieldRiver gauge, River Team 0.21 m Low −0.02 m 7.5 km
Stocksfield Ridley MillRiver gauge, Stocksfield Burn 0.24 m Lowest on record ±0 7.5 km
BywellRiver gauge, River Tyne 0.42 m Very low −0.03 m 9.5 km
Lanchester Front StreetRiver gauge, Smallhope Burn 0.23 m Normal ±0 10.0 km
Riding MillRiver gauge, River Tyne 0.36 m Very low −0.03 m 11 km
Team ValleyRiver gauge, River Team 0.20 m Very low ±0 13 km
WoolsingtonRiver gauge, Ouse Burn 0.01 m Very low ±0 15 km
StamfordhamRiver gauge, River Pont 0.62 m Normal +0.01 m 15 km

Questions and answers

How does the River Derwent at Blackhall Mill compare with last year?

It is 0.02 m lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 0.07 m.

What is a normal level for the River Derwent at Blackhall Mill in mid-October?

The median for mid-October is 0.16 m. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.07 m and 0.34 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 0.05 m on the gauge does not mean the water is that deep.

What is the water level of Blackhall Mill today?

On 19 Oct 2026, 20:00 BST, the water level was 0.05 m. Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is Blackhall Mill rising or falling?

Steady over the last 24 hours.

Is the level of Blackhall 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 Blackhall Mill?

The highest level on record is 2.57 m on September 6, 2008. The lowest is −0.01 m on August 17, 2003.

For specialists

Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
Operator
Environment Agency
Station code
ea:023044 (Agency page)
Coordinates
54.90596, -1.81231 (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 0.05 m 2026-10-19 19:00 Provisional

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How to cite

Environment Agency: Blackhall Mill (ea:023044). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-kingdom/tyne-and-wear/blackhall-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.