Besford Bridge water level
River gauge, Bow Brook, Worcestershire, United Kingdom
Right now
Very low for mid-October
Water level
History
20252026
What this means
Bow Brook at Besford Bridge is running far below normal at 0.16 m.
The median for mid-October is 0.21 m, based on 20 years of readings, so the river level is 0.05 m below typical. On the same day last year the reading was 0.14 m, a difference of +0.02 m. The lowest reading on record is 0.05 m (August 17, 1976).
It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly. In the last month it has stayed between 0.12 m and 0.16 m.
Autumn rain usually starts to lift rivers again after the summer low.
Compared with 20 years of daily readings for this time of year. How to read levels
Key numbers
- Median for this date
- 0.21 m0.05 m below the median for this date
- Normal for this date
- 0.16 m – 0.35 m8 years in 10 fall in this range (20 years of records)
- Normal range
- 0.17 m – 1.90 m
- Same day last year
- 0.14 m+0.02 m
- Lowest and highest in 30 days
- 0.12 m – 0.16 m
- Lowest and highest in 12 months
- 0.11 m – 2.29 m
- Highest on record
- 4.06 mJuly 21, 2007
- Lowest on record
- 0.05 mAugust 17, 1976
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 Bow Brook
The Bow Brook is a substantial brook that flows for 28.8 miles (46.3 km) through Worcestershire, England. It is a lower tributary of the River Avon which it joins near Defford downstream of Eckington Bridge. Its principal tributaries include the Stoulton, Dean, and Seeley brooks.
Text and image from Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA.
Weather at the gauge
The forecast is not available right now.
Map
Other gauges on Bow Brook
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FeckenhamRiver gauge, Bow Brook | 0.11 m | Normal | +0.03 m | 17 km |
Nearby gauges
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PershoreRiver gauge, River Avon | 3.27 m | Low | +0.01 m | 2.6 km |
| Wyre PiddleRiver gauge, Piddle Brook | 0.12 m | Low | +0.02 m | 3.8 km |
| Eckington SluiceRiver gauge, River Avon | 1.98 m | Low | ±0 | 5.9 km |
| BredonRiver gauge, River Avon | 0.76 m | Normal | +0.02 m | 8.9 km |
| Kempsey Yacht ClubRiver gauge, River Severn | 0.51 m | Low | −0.02 m | 9.1 km |
| DiglisRiver gauge, River Severn | 0.56 m | Normal | −0.01 m | 11 km |
| Hinton On GreenRiver gauge, River Isbourne | 0.07 m | Low | +0.01 m | 11 km |
| EveshamRiver gauge, River Avon | 0.50 m | Normal | +0.03 m | 12 km |
Questions and answers
Is Bow Brook at Besford Bridge higher than last year?
Yes, it is 0.02 m higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 0.14 m.
What is a normal level for Bow Brook at Besford Bridge in mid-October?
The median for mid-October is 0.21 m. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.16 m and 0.35 m, based on 20 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 0.16 m on the gauge does not mean the water is that deep.
What is the water level of Besford Bridge today?
On 19 Oct 2026, 22:00 BST, the water level was 0.16 m. Steady over the last 24 hours.
Is Besford Bridge rising or falling?
Steady over the last 24 hours. Up 0.02 m over the last 7 days.
Is the level of Besford Bridge normal?
Very low for mid-October. Compared with 20 years of daily readings for this time of year.
What is the highest water level ever recorded at Besford Bridge?
The highest level on record is 4.06 m on July 21, 2007. The lowest is 0.05 m on August 17, 1976.
For specialists
Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
- Operator
- Environment Agency
- Station code
ea:2015(Agency page)- Coordinates
52.11442, -2.10801(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 | 0.16 m | 2026-10-19 21:00 | Provisional |
Download
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How to cite
Environment Agency: Besford Bridge (ea:2015). Accessed October 19, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-kingdom/worcestershire/besford-bridge
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