FloodRadar
Log inCreate free account

Explore FloodRadar

Explore the map
Weather
Why ?
Home › Rivers › River Wansbeck

River Wansbeck water levels

Live levels from 3 monitoring stations across Northumberland, updated every 15 minutes.

3stations
0above typical high

Gauges

Monitoring stations, source to mouth

StationTownLevel nowStatusTrend
Middleton BridgeMiddleton0.01 m 1h agoLow—
19.5 km by river
MitfordMitford0.18 m 1h agoLow—
3.0 km by river
MorpethMorpeth24.32 mAOD 1h agoNormal—

Stations are listed from source to mouth as the water flows, traced on the river map (OS Open Rivers) and the Environment Agency’s own links between its gauges. A distance “by river” is along the river, and is shown only where the map traces the path.

Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database rights 2026.

Gauged tributaries

Streams and rivers with a gauge whose water joins the Wansbeck above one of its gauges, from the source down. Named streams without a gauge that have a page here are listed at the end.

2 gauged tributaries, 2 gauges

River Font

Joins the Wansbeck between Middleton Bridge and Mitford, no more than 18.7 km by river above Mitford.

Nunnykirk0.37 m 1h agoNormal

Its water passes Mitford and every gauge below it on the Wansbeck. It does not pass Middleton Bridge or the gauges above it.

River Hartburn

Joins the Wansbeck between Middleton Bridge and Mitford, no more than 14.1 km by river above Mitford.

Hartburn0.04 m 7h agoLow

Its water passes Mitford and every gauge below it on the Wansbeck. It does not pass Middleton Bridge or the gauges above it.

Where the Wansbeck goes

No gauge below Morpeth is known on the river map.

Tributaries and where they join are traced on the river map (OS Open Rivers, edition 2026-04) and the Environment Agency’s links between its gauges. The map holds distances between gauges, not the junctions themselves, so a junction is placed between two gauges, and no further up than the tributary’s own lowest gauge. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database rights 2026.

Streams without a gauge

Named streams on the river map that flow into the Wansbeck and have no gauge of their own. Each has a page with what is known about it: the next gauge downstream, and any storm overflows or water-sampling points placed on it.

Storm overflows upstream

None of the storm overflows FloodRadar holds is traced upstream of Morpeth on the river map. That is not the same as none: the map leaves out many small streams and culverts, so an overflow it cannot place may still drain here, and not every company publishes every overflow.

Near these gauges, connection not known

Within 3 km of one of the Wansbeck’s gauges in a straight line, but the river map cannot say whether their water reaches it.

  • Scots Gap STW Not discharging
    Northumbrian Water · into Trib Of Middleton Burn · 2.3 km from Middleton Bridge in a straight line · no mapped watercourse close enough to be sure · 2025: 66 spills, 615 h

13 other overflows within 3 km of these gauges are placed below the Wansbeck’s lowest gauge or on another river, so not listed.

A status is the water company’s own monitor: it says whether an overflow is discharging, never how much or why, and a spill does not by itself explain a change in a river level. A status older than two hours is shown as unknown. Annual figures are the official returns: 12/24-hour spills for England and Wales, overflow events for Scotland (Scottish Water counts differently, so the two cannot be compared). “No data” means the monitor produced no usable data that year, not zero. Overflows are placed on OS Open Rivers (edition 2026-04), which leaves out many small channels: an overflow the map cannot place may still drain here. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database rights 2026. Sewage in Britain’s rivers →

Live status: © Northumbrian Water storm overflow activity data, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Annual figures for England: Environment Agency Event Duration Monitoring return, © Environment Agency copyright and/or database right, Open Government Licence v3.0.

Water samples

Dated samples taken by the Environment Agency, not live readings. Results are published days to months after the sample is taken, and many points are sampled only a few times a year, or have not been sampled for years.

27 sampling points on the River Wansbeck and the streams that join it above Morpeth, and below it. 12 have a sample from the last 12 months; 15 have any sample banked. Listed from the source down, grouped by the next gauge each one's water reaches.

Above Middleton Bridge River Wansbeck 3 points, 1 with samples
Sampling pointWatercourse (map)Above the gaugeLast sampleLatest results (river water)
Knowesgate Wood WLS tributary of Ray BurnRay Burn9.7 kmLast sampled 20 Jun 2000, before the imported period
Ray Burn just upstream of confluence with River WansbeckRay Burn9.0 kmLast sampled 16 Mar 2020, before the imported period
River Wansbeck at Scarlett HallRiver Wansbeck1.2 km6 Aug 2026 · 2 months agoOxygen 108.8%Temp 14.4 °CpH 8.33Ammonia 0.01 mg/l
Above Nunnykirk River Font 2 points, 1 with samples
Sampling pointWatercourse (map)Above the gaugeLast sampleLatest results (river water)
Newbiggin Burn at FallowleesNewbiggin Burn7.0 km9 Jul 2026 · 3 months agoOxygen 97.6%Temp 14.4 °CpH 8.02Ammonia below 0.002 mg/l
Font adjacent to Fontburn water treatment worksRiver Font1.8 kmLast sampled 9 Mar 2020, before the imported period
Above Hartburn River Hartburn 4 points
Sampling pointWatercourse (map)Above the gaugeLast sampleLatest results (river water)
Fairnley Burn upstream of CatchersideFairnley Burn13 km7 Aug 2026 · 2 months agoOxygen 41.8%Temp 13.4 °CpH 7.13Ammonia 0.33 mg/l
Chesters Burn at CatchersideChesters Burn11 km8 Sep 2026 · 30 days agoOxygen 93.7%Temp 11.2 °CpH 7.98Ammonia below 0.03 mg/l
Hart Burn at Cheese HillsHart Burn11 km4 Dec 2023 · 2.8 years agoOxygen 96.7%Temp 2.8 °CpH 7.33Ammonia 0.11 mg/l
Delf Burn upstream of Hart BurnDelf Burn6.3 km3 Mar 2025 · 19 months agoOxygen 104.9%Temp 6.5 °CpH 8.34Ammonia below 0.03 mg/l
Above Mitford River Wansbeck 10 points, 6 with samples
Sampling pointWatercourse (map)Above the gaugeLast sampleLatest results (river water)
Middleton Burn 200 m downstream of Scots Gap sewage treatment worksMiddleton Burn21 kmLast sampled 22 Nov 2006, before the imported period
Wansbeck at Middleton BridgeRiver Wansbeck20 km6 May 2026 · 5 months agoOxygen 105.1%Temp 8.2 °CpH 8.39Ammonia below 0.03 mg/l
River Font at NunnykirkRiver Font19 km7 Jan 2026 · 9 months agoOxygen 99.2%Temp 1 °CpH 8.09Conductivity 311 µS/cm
Hart Burn at HartburnHart Burn12 km14 Sep 2026 · 24 days agoTemp 14.4 °CAmmonia below 0.03 mg/lNitrate 0.566 mg/lPhosphate below 0.01 mg/l
Font at NetherwittonRiver Font11 kmLast sampled 7 Mar 2014, before the imported period
Cowclose Burn at Witton ShieldsCowclose Burn9.3 km3 Dec 2024 · 22 months agoOxygen 99.4%Temp 5.1 °CpH 7.85Ammonia 0.0041 mg/l
River Wansbeck at MitfordRiver Wansbeck0.8 km11 Aug 2026 · 58 days agoOxygen 102%Temp 14.2 °CpH 8.28Ammonia 0.013 mg/l
Wansbeck at Mitford CastleRiver Wansbeck0.7 kmLast sampled 6 Feb 2020, before the imported period
Font at MitfordRiver Font0.4 km6 May 2026 · 5 months agoOxygen 95.4%Temp 6.9 °CpH 8.39Ammonia below 0.03 mg/l
Wansbeck at MitfordRiver Wansbeck0.1 kmLast sampled 21 Nov 2013, before the imported period
Above Morpeth River Wansbeck 2 points, 1 with samples
Sampling pointWatercourse (map)Above the gaugeLast sampleLatest results (river water)
Wansbeck at Mitford IntakeRiver Wansbeck2.2 kmLast sampled 21 Nov 2012, before the imported period
Wansbeck 25 m downstream of Bakehouse StepsRiver Wansbeck0.2 km7 Aug 2026 · 2 months agoOxygen 116.6%Temp 17.3 °CpH 8.52Ammonia below 0.03 mg/l
Below Morpeth 6 points, 2 with samples
Sampling pointWatercourse (map)Below the gaugeLast sampleLatest results (river water)
Wansbeck just upstream Morpeth sewage treatment worksRiver Wansbeck1.3 kmLast sampled 9 Mar 2022, before the imported period
Wansbeck just upstream confluence of How BurnRiver Wansbeck2.3 kmLast sampled 5 Mar 2020, before the imported period
Wansbeck upstream of How Burn confluence Sed Whole SampRiver Wansbeck2.5 kmLast sampled 15 Dec 2000, before the imported period
Wansbeck at Mill House (Bothal Bridge)River Wansbeck6.0 kmLast sampled 4 Mar 2020, before the imported period
Wansbeck at Bothal Castle FootbridgeRiver Wansbeck6.7 km7 Aug 2026 · 2 months agoOxygen 91.1%Temp 15.5 °CpH 8.17Ammonia below 0.03 mg/l
Wansbeck at Sheepwash DamRiver Wansbeck9.7 km3 Jul 2026 · 3 months agoOxygen 72.7%Temp 17.1 °CpH 7.63Ammonia 0.16 mg/l

Distances are along the river to the gauge named. England's samples only.

FloodRadar does not grade these results: there is no overall score, and official river classifications are a separate dataset. A sample taken downstream of an overflow does not by itself show where anything in it came from. River connections and distances are traced on OS Open Rivers (edition 2026-04), which leaves out many small channels.

Water samples: Environment Agency Water Quality Archive, © Environment Agency and/or database right 2026, Open Government Licence v3.0.

Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database rights 2026.

Wave tracker for this river → Northumberland rivers → All UK rivers