Measurements are taken from the depth sticks opposite the boozer at the end of West Street (The Holly Bush), and immediately below Osney Lock. These purport to give the height as meters above Newlyn datum. There are no weirs between the two measuring points, so when the river is low they will tend to give roughly the same readings (no more than an inch different).
This doesn't show the famous 2007 floods because I was in Australia at the time, where there was a drought. Some time in 2006 the dear old Environment Agency rebuilt Osney Lock and removed the metre rule, so subsequent measurements are in Imperial. However, the July Floods checked in at 12' 4", so we're nearly there.
Red type means a Flood Watch or worse is currently in force for the Thames at Osney. However, it is possible that the general Oxford area is subject to a Flood Watch even though Osney is not. Go figure.
| Meters (Osney Lock) | |
|---|---|
| 56.44 | That's 13 feet on the depth stick down below the lock. |
| 56.20 | 12' 2.5" Mainline flooded at South Hinksey (that means no trains between Oxford and Didcot). |
| 56.20 | 12' Ferry Hinksey Road is flooded. |
| 55.70 | 10' 11" Playing field next to Ferry Hinksey Road is flooded. |
| Date | The Holly Bush | Osney Lock |
|---|---|---|
| 2014-02-14:07.30 | 11' 8" | |
| 2014-02-10:06.55 | 12' 5" | |
| 2014-02-06:07.50 | 11' 9" | |
| 2014-01-10:07.05 | 12' 9" | |
| 2014-01-09:07.05 | 12' 11" | |
| 2014-01-08:15.30 | 12' 10" | |
| 2014-01-08:06.45 | 12' 10" | |
| 2014-01-07:15.45 | 12' 7" | |
| 2014-01-07:07.05 | 12' 6" | |
| 2014-01-06:15.40 | 12' 4" | |
| 2014-01-06:07.00 | 12' 1" | |
| 2013-01-30:07.05 | 11' 5" | |
| 2013-01-28:07.35 | 10' 9" | |
| 2012-11-30:07.25 | 12' 0" | |
| 2012-11-29:07.20 | 12' 2" | |
| 2012-11-28:09.50 | 12' 4" | |
| 2012-11-27:14.05 | 12' 6" [56.30] | |
| 2012-11-27:06.57 | 12' 5" | |
| 2012-11-26:18.00 | 11' 11" | |
| 2012-11-26:10.50 | 11' 10" | |
| 2012-05-10:07.15 | 9' 9" | |
| 2012-05-09:07.15 | 9' 6" | |
| 2012-05-03:07.20 | 10' 8" | |
| 2012-05-02:07.10 | 10' 6" | |
| 2010-01-28:08.30 | 9' 10" | |
| 2010-01-25:10.10 | 11' | |
| 2010-01-22:09.15 | 10' 4" | |
| 2010-01-21:08.30 | 10' 6" | |
| 2008-01-30:09.10 | 9' | |
| 2008-01-24:09.15 | 11' 7" | |
| 2008-01-23:09.10 | 11' 8" | |
| 2008-01-22:09.10 | 11' 9" | |
| 2008-01-21:09.10 | 11' 10" | |
| 2008-01-18:20.05 | 12' 1" | |
| 2008-01-18:08.50 | 12' | |
| 2008-01-17:09.20 | 11' 8.5" | |
| 2008-01-16:12.15 | 11' 7" | |
| 2008-01-15:15.30 | 11' 4.5" | |
| 18 February 2004 | 54.95 | |
| 17 February 2004 | 54.96 | |
| 6 February 2004 | 55.39 | |
| 3 February 2004 | 55.56 | |
| 15 January 2004 | 55.38 | |
| 14 January 2004 | 55.44 | |
| 7 March 2003 | 55.38 | |
| 6 March 2003 | 55.17 | |
| 14 Feb 2003 | 55.03 | |
| 13 Feb 2003 | 55.13 | |
| 12 Feb 2003 | 55.25 | |
| 7 Feb 2003 | 54.95 | |
| 6 Feb 2003 | 54.98 | |
| 5 Feb 2003 | 55.07 | |
| 4 Feb 2003 | 55.10 | |
| 3 Feb 2003 | 55.30 | |
| 30 Jan 2003 | 55.17 | |
| 29 Jan 2003 | 55.21 | |
| 27 Jan 2003 | 55.33 | |
| 24 Jan 2003 | 56.20 | |
| 23 Jan 2003 | 56.10 | |
| 21 Jan 2003 | 55.70 | |
| 13 Jan 2003 | 55.38 | |
| 06 Jan 2003 | 56.69 | |
| 05 Jan 2003 | 56.75 | 56.35 |
| 04 Jan 2003 | 56.64 | 56.27 |
| 03 Jan 2003 | 56.21 | |
| 23 Dec 2002 | 55.61 | |
| 18 Dec 2002 | 55.00 | |
| 17 Dec 2002 | 55.12 | |
| 16 Dec 2002 | 55.23 | |
| 2 Dec 2002 | 55.25 | |
| 29 Nov 2002 | 55.38 | |
| 27 Nov 2002 | 55.50 | |
| 25 Nov 2002 | 55.62 | |
| 22 Nov 2002 | 54.32 | |
| 21 Nov 2002 | 55.50 | |
| 18 Nov 2002 | 55.88 | |
| 14 Nov 2002 | 55.64 |
The floodline is reasonably regularly updated 0845 988 1188 (wait) 1 (wait) 011 122 - for Oxford information. There is also a fine website, which got the "Runner up" position for "best project for services - government to citizen" in the Government Computing Syntegra Awards for Innovation 2002. Titter ye not. This website was down for the duration of the December 2002 - January 2003 flood season.
Flood warnings in this area currently in force
Downstream sensor at Osney Lock Note that the sensor shows levels above the local datum, so you will have to add the datum [52.477] to get the comparable figure.
Cherwell at Marston (the cycle path)