Scalehill Upper Lorton Valley water level
River gauge, River Cocker, Cumbria, United Kingdom
Right now
High for mid-October
Water level
History
20252026
What this means
The River Cocker at Scalehill Upper Lorton Valley is above normal at 0.70 m.
The median for mid-October is 0.56 m, based on 21 years of readings, so the river level is 0.14 m above typical. On the same day last year the reading was 0.50 m, a difference of +0.20 m.
It has dropped 0.08 m over the past 24 hours. In the last month it has stayed between 0.52 m and 1.08 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
- 0.56 m0.14 m above the median for this date
- Normal for this date
- 0.43 m – 0.83 m8 years in 10 fall in this range (21 years of records)
- Normal range
- 0.31 m – 0.97 m
- Same day last year
- 0.50 m+0.20 m
- Lowest and highest in 30 days
- 0.52 m – 1.08 m
- Lowest and highest in 12 months
- 0.35 m – 1.27 m
- Highest on record
- 3.54 mNovember 20, 2009
- Lowest on record
- 0.13 mJuly 1, 1988
Fishing and paddling
Coloured, rising water usually ends the fishing for a day or two. As it fines down, it can bring fresh fish up the river.
Flood alerts and warnings come from the Environment Agency.
About the River Cocker
The River Cocker is a river in the Lake District in North West England, in the county of Cumbria. Its source is at the head of the Buttermere valley. It flows north through Buttermere and then Crummock Water, through Lorton Vale, to the town of Cockermouth, where it joins the River Derwent. It is roughly 12 miles (19 km) long. The river takes its name from the Brythonic Celtic word kukrā, meaning 'the crooked one.'
Text and image from Wikipedia and Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA.
Weather at the gauge
Rain in the last 3 days: 29 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 Cocker
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwaite BridgeRiver gauge, River Cocker | 0.60 m | Normal | −0.07 m | 6.9 km |
| South Street FootbridgeRiver gauge, River Cocker | 1.11 m | Normal | −0.05 m | 9.5 km |
Nearby gauges
| Gauge | Level | Compared with normal | 24 hours | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bleach Green WeirRiver gauge, River Ehen | 0.48 m | Normal | −0.06 m | 8.8 km |
| Kingfisher, CockermouthRiver gauge, River Derwent | 1.02 m | Normal | −0.08 m | 9.8 km |
| PortinscaleRiver gauge, River Derwent | 0.76 m | Normal | −0.08 m | 11 km |
| Castle HoweRiver gauge, Bassenthwaite Lake | 1.42 m | High | −0.10 m | 11 km |
| Keswick CampsiteRiver gauge, River Greta | 0.78 m | Normal | −0.08 m | 11 km |
| Greta BridgeRiver gauge, River Greta | 1.16 m | Normal | −0.03 m | 12 km |
| LodoreRiver gauge, Derwentwater | 1.15 m | High | −0.11 m | 12 km |
| Ouse BridgeRiver gauge, River Derwent | 1.20 m | High | −0.09 m | 12 km |
Questions and answers
Is the River Cocker at Scalehill Upper Lorton Valley higher than last year?
Yes, it is 0.20 m higher than on the same day last year, when the reading was 0.50 m.
What is a normal level for the River Cocker at Scalehill Upper Lorton Valley in mid-October?
The median for mid-October is 0.56 m. In 8 years out of 10 the reading falls between 0.43 m and 0.83 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 0.70 m on the gauge does not mean the water is that deep.
What is the water level of Scalehill Upper Lorton Valley today?
On 18 Oct 2026, 22:30 BST, the water level was 0.70 m. Down 0.08 m over the last 24 hours.
Is Scalehill Upper Lorton Valley rising or falling?
Down 0.08 m over the last 24 hours. Down 0.20 m over the last 7 days.
Is the level of Scalehill Upper Lorton Valley normal?
High for mid-October. Compared with 21 years of daily readings for this time of year.
What is the highest water level ever recorded at Scalehill Upper Lorton Valley?
The highest level on record is 3.54 m on November 20, 2009. The lowest is 0.13 m on July 1, 1988.
For specialists
Station codes, datum, parameters, data quality and downloads
- Operator
- Environment Agency
- Station code
ea:751612(Agency page)- Coordinates
54.58069, -3.31800(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 | 0.70 m | 2026-10-18 21:30 | Provisional |
Download
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How to cite
Environment Agency: Scalehill Upper Lorton Valley (ea:751612). Accessed October 18, 2026 via Nivelmap, https://nivelmap.com/en/united-kingdom/cumbria/scalehill-upper-lorton-valley
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