Chesterfield water level
River gauge, River Hipper, Derbyshire, United Kingdom
Right now
Very low for mid-October
Water level
History
20252026
What this means
Low water at Chesterfield: the gauge reads 0.33 m, far below normal for mid-October.
That puts it 0.04 m below the median of 0.37 m for mid-October, based on 21 years of readings. A year ago it stood at 0.35 m (−0.02 m). The lowest reading on record is 0.33 m (September 2, 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 0.33 m – 0.36 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
- 0.37 m0.04 m below the median for this date
- Normal for this date
- 0.35 m – 0.45 m8 years in 10 fall in this range (21 years of records)
- Normal range
- 0.36 m – 1.10 m
- Same day last year
- 0.35 m−0.02 m
- Lowest and highest in 30 days
- 0.33 m – 0.36 m
- Lowest and highest in 12 months
- 0.33 m – 0.66 m
- Highest on record
- 3.59 mOctober 20, 2023
- Lowest on record
- 0.33 mSeptember 2, 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 Hipper
The River Hipper is a tributary of the River Rother in Derbyshire, England. Its source is a large expanse of wetlands, fed by the surrounding moors between Chatsworth and Chesterfield, known as the Hipper Sick on Beeley Moor, which is part of the Chatsworth Estate. It then passes through Holymoorside and down into Chesterfield, just south of the town centre, before flowing into the River Rother. In July 2007, parts of Chesterfield flooded when the River Hipper burst its banks during a substantial storm that caused extensive flooding in North Derbyshire and South Yorkshire. The river burst its banks again after torrential rain in October 2023. The surrounding landscape is known as the Hipper Valley.
Text and image from Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA.
Weather at the gauge
Rain in the last 3 days: 5.4 mm. Rain that falls upstream can take hours or days to show up at a river gauge.
Forecast: Open-Meteo
Map
Other gauges on the River Hipper
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chesterfield Park Road BridgeRiver gauge, River Hipper | −0.01 m | Very low | ±0 | 1.6 km |
| HolymoorsideRiver gauge, River Hipper | 0.02 m | Low | ±0 | 2.9 km |
Nearby gauges
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chesterfield AshgateRiver gauge, Holme Brook | 0.02 m | Normal | ±0 | 1.3 km |
| Chesterfield St AugustinesRiver gauge, River Rother | 0.21 m | Normal | −0.04 m | 2.0 km |
| Hady HillRiver gauge, River Rother | 0.53 m | Normal | −0.04 m | 2.4 km |
| Chesterfield Tapton BridgeRiver gauge, River Rother | 0.06 m | Low | −0.02 m | 2.4 km |
| Chesterfield Avenue WashlandsRiver gauge, River Rother | 0.20 m | Normal | ±0 | 3.1 km |
| Chesterfield Calow LaneRiver gauge, Calow Brook | 0.12 m | Normal | −0.02 m | 3.8 km |
| SheepbridgeRiver gauge, River Whitting | 0.06 m | Low | ±0 | 4.3 km |
| WhittingtonRiver gauge, River Rother | 0.22 m | Low | −0.03 m | 4.9 km |
Questions and answers
How does the River Hipper at Chesterfield compare with last year?
It is 0.02 m lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 0.35 m.
What is a normal level for the River Hipper at Chesterfield in mid-October?
The median for mid-October is 0.37 m. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.35 m and 0.45 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 0.33 m on the gauge does not mean the water is that deep.
What is the water level of Chesterfield today?
On 17 Oct 2026, 23:45 BST, the water level was 0.33 m. Steady over the last 24 hours.
Is Chesterfield rising or falling?
Steady over the last 24 hours. Steady over the last 7 days.
Is the level of Chesterfield 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 Chesterfield?
The highest level on record is 3.59 m on October 20, 2023. The lowest is 0.33 m on September 2, 2003.
For specialists
Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
- Operator
- Environment Agency
- Station code
ea:L0235(Agency page)- Coordinates
53.23118, -1.45466(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 | 0.33 m | 2026-10-17 22:45 | Provisional |
Download
Embed this gauge
Add a live card for this gauge to your website. It updates on its own and links back here.
How to cite
Environment Agency: Chesterfield (ea:L0235). Accessed October 17, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-kingdom/derbyshire/chesterfield
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