BBC - Wales History: Earthquakes in Wales - British & Irish Residents

"We are used to hearing news of earthquakes in the developing countries or places such as New Zealand. Most of the time we might empathise briefly with the victims before then get on with our daily lives. Thank God such things don't happen here, we say to ourselves. But they do. Several hundred earthquakes are detected by the British Geological Society every single year and while most of these, measuring less than 2.5 on the Richter Scale, are too small to even be felt by people, they can also sometimes be quite significant events. Although the majority of the earthquakes that take place in Britain every year occur in Scotland, Wales has certainly had more than its fair share. In 1986 the British Geological Survey reported that between 1727 and 1984 there were 70 earthquakes measuring more than 3.5 on the Richter scale recorded in Wales and on the borders of the Welsh Marches. No fewer than 15 of these measured over 4.5 on the scale. 1247 Pembrokeshire earthquake The earliest reference to an earthquake in Wales came on 20 February 1247. The tremors from that event were so severe that structural damage was caused to the huge edifice of St Davids Cathedral in Pembrokeshire. St Davids Cathedral St Davids Cathedral (photo: PetesPix 2008) North Wales, and Caernarfon in particular, seem to have always been prone to earthquake problems. Records show that the north Wales coast was hit as early as 1534 but the first recorded instance in the town of Caernarfon was on 7 October 1690. It seems to have been a year of earthquakes as, just two months before, the small community of Carmarthen in south west Wales was also hit. The 1690 earthquake in Caernarfon caused tremors that were felt as far south as London and across the Irish Sea in Dublin. It seems that certain areas of Wales have always been more prone to earthquakes than others. What are known as clusters of seismic activity have long been recorded in places such as Pembroke, Caernarfon and Neath. No fewer than five... more... - Spidra Webster from Bookmarklet