UK hit by large earthquake as ‘roaring noise’ heard whereas ‘bed room partitions shook’

The small village of Gotham, Nottinghamshire was the centre of an earthquake on December 17 that measured 2.2 on the scale – and was felt by several people in the surrounding areas.

The UK has been hit by a huge earthquake leaving bedroom walls “shaking”. From the Highlands to the Bristol Channel, several residents would have been in the middle of an earthquake without even realising it over the last few months.

Experts at the British Geological Society say that the UK has around 300 earthquakes a year that are picked up by advanced technology. However, only 30 are actually felt by residents. Adding to this, there are hundreds that happen a year that sometimes go unnoticed due to the need of extremely sensitive equipment.

This does not mean the UK is exempt from considerable damage. The most damaging UK earthquake in terms of intensity occurred in 1884 in Colchester, Essex. Approximately 1,200 buildings required repairs to collapsed walls, chimneys and roofs.

This earthquake reached eight on the European Macroseismic Scale. The Richter Scale is more commonly used, and details how strong an earthquake would affect an area.

However, one took place very recently in the small village of Gotham, Nottinghamshire on December 17 that measured 2.2 on the scale – and was felt by several people in the surrounding areas.

According to the BGS website, it was felt as far away as Coalville, Newton Linford, Loughborough and Markfield, Leicestershire, around 20km out from the epicentre.

And writing in to the BGS, locals claimed that they “felt weak trembling”, “heard faint rumbling sound”, “there was a rumbling vibration”, “there was a mild roaring noise” and “felt like the bedroom wall shook”.

Official measurements state that the quake was felt at a depth of around eight kilometres, and that it happened as 23.55pm – and 31.4 seconds to be exact.

Its exact location was 52.856 -1.176 just a short walk from Moorbarn Farm on Bunny Lane, which is in the middle of fields and fields of farming lane.

Although Gotham is the nearest populated area, it is around a 49 minute walk from the epicentre of the quake.

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