Devil's Water

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title: "Devil's Water" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["rivers-of-northumberland", "tyne-catchment"] description: "River in Northumberland, England" topic_path: "general/rivers-of-northumberland" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devil's_Water" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary River in Northumberland, England ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox river"]

Field	Value
name	Devil's Water
name_etymology
image	The Devil's Water, near Dukesfield smelt mill - geograph.org.uk - 611085.jpg
image_caption	Devil's Water
pushpin_map	United Kingdom Northumberland
pushpin_map_caption	Location within Northumberland
	subdivision_type1
subdivision_name1	United Kingdom
subdivision_type3	County
subdivision_name3	Northumberland
subdivision_name5
length	26.3 km
discharge1_max
mouth_coordinates
::

| name = Devil's Water | native_name = | native_name_lang = | name_other = | name_etymology = | image = The Devil's Water, near Dukesfield smelt mill - geograph.org.uk - 611085.jpg | image_size = | image_caption = Devil's Water | map = | map_size = | map_caption = | pushpin_map = United Kingdom Northumberland | pushpin_map_size = | pushpin_map_caption = Location within Northumberland | subdivision_type1 = Country | subdivision_name1 = United Kingdom | subdivision_type2 = | subdivision_name2 = | subdivision_type3 = County | subdivision_name3 = Northumberland | subdivision_type4 = | subdivision_name4 = | subdivision_type5 = | subdivision_name5 = | length = 26.3 km | width_min = | width_avg = | width_max = | depth_min = | depth_avg = | depth_max = | discharge1_location = | discharge1_min = | discharge1_avg = | discharge1_max = | source1 = | source1_location = | source1_coordinates = | source1_elevation = | mouth = | mouth_location = | mouth_coordinates = | mouth_elevation = | progression = | river_system = | basin_size = | tributaries_left = | tributaries_right = | custom_label = | custom_data = | extra =

Devil's Water is a narrow, powerful river in Northumberland, England. It rises in the moors of Hexhamshire and empties into the Tyne between the towns of Hexham and Corbridge. Its tributaries include the Rowley Burn and West Dipton Burn.

The Battle of Hexham was fought on the banks of Devil's Water in 1464.

Etymology

Devil's Water is one of a number of rivers that take their names from a Brittonic compound meaning "black stream". Other examples are the Douglas, the Dawlish, and the Dulais. In the case of Devil's Water, the name has been corrupted by the influence of the English word "devil" (cf. Devil's Brook in Dorset). The river gives its name to the hamlet of Dilston, which was originally known as Develeston.

References

References

1. Ekwall, Eilert. (1947). "The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Place-Names". the Clarendon Press.
2. Ekwall, Eilert. (1928). "English River Names". the Clarendon Press.

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