Fakenham water level
River gauge, River Wensum, Norfolk, United Kingdom
Right now
Very low for mid-October
Water level
History
20252026
What this means
Low water at Fakenham: the gauge reads 0.40 m, far below normal for mid-October.
The median for mid-October is 0.45 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 0.41 m, a difference of −0.01 m. The lowest reading on record is 0.11 m (November 6, 1995).
It has barely moved over the past 24 hours. Without real rain upstream, that is unlikely to change quickly.
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
- 0.45 m0.05 m below the median for this date
- Normal for this date
- 0.41 m – 0.52 m8 years in 10 fall in this range (21 years of records)
- Normal range
- 0.09 m – 0.64 m
- Same day last year
- 0.41 m−0.01 m
- Lowest and highest in 30 days
- 0.40 m – 0.40 m
- Lowest and highest in 12 months
- 0.27 m – 0.57 m
- Highest on record
- 0.81 mJanuary 16, 2020
- Lowest on record
- 0.11 mNovember 6, 1995
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 Wensum
The River Wensum is a chalk river in Norfolk, England and a tributary of the River Yare, despite being the larger of the two rivers. The river is a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest and Special Area of Conservation.
Text and image from Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA.
Weather at the gauge
Rain in the last 3 days: 3.4 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 Wensum
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swanton MorleyRiver gauge, River Wensum | 0.11 m | Normal | ±0 | 15 km |
| Costessey MillRiver gauge, River Wensum | 0.25 m | Normal | ±0 | 31 km |
Nearby gauges
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little WalsinghamRiver gauge, River Stiffkey | 0.11 m | Low | −0.02 m | 7.4 km |
| South CreakeRiver gauge, River Burn | 0.04 m | Lowest on record | ±0 | 8.1 km |
| WarhamRiver gauge, River Stiffkey | 0.53 m | Normal | +0.01 m | 12 km |
| HunworthRiver gauge, River Glaven | 0.16 m | Normal | −0.01 m | 16 km |
| Wendling BeckRiver gauge | 0.15 m | Normal | ±0 | 17 km |
| CorpustyRiver gauge, River Bure | 0.11 m | Normal | ±0 | 19 km |
| Stone Road FarmRiver gauge, River Tud | 0.23 m | Normal | +0.01 m | 20 km |
| Castle RisingRiver gauge, Babingley River | 0.12 m | Very low | ±0 | 24 km |
Questions and answers
Is the River Wensum at Fakenham higher than last year?
No, it is 0.01 m lower than on the same day last year, when the reading was 0.41 m.
What is a normal level for the River Wensum at Fakenham in mid-October?
The median for mid-October is 0.45 m. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.41 m and 0.52 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 0.40 m on the gauge does not mean the water is that deep.
What is the water level of Fakenham today?
On 17 Oct 2026, 17:30 BST, the water level was 0.40 m. Steady over the last 24 hours.
Is Fakenham rising or falling?
Steady over the last 24 hours.
Is the level of Fakenham 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 Fakenham?
The highest level on record is 0.81 m on January 16, 2020. The lowest is 0.11 m on November 6, 1995.
For specialists
Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
- Operator
- Environment Agency
- Station code
ea:E25940(Agency page)- Coordinates
52.82736, 0.84742(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 | 0.40 m | 2026-10-17 16:30 | 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: Fakenham (ea:E25940). Accessed October 17, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-kingdom/norfolk/fakenham
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