Early air frost in Wembury

[Len]

Min. last night -0.2°C.

The earliest since 2008, Oct 29th

Earliest ever here since 1985 is 1992, Oct 17th.

Len

Wembury

SW Devon

[Graham Easterling]

2.6C minimum in Penzance. Lowest ever October temperature 0.5C on 29/10/18. (records start 1992)

Earliest air frost here 18th November in 2005, which I think is a bit of a 'soft' record.

Nice day for a brisk chilly walk up Chapel Carn Brea. 2.5 miles from Lands End, an Island in the surrounding 300' raised beach. (For those geographers amongst you) Wonderful views across to the Lizard point, up to the the north coast, and out to Scilly, which was clearly visible.

Graham

Penzance

. 

[Len]

Often wondered about the term 'raised beach'.

They have been left high and dry by a relative fall in sea level,

but I suppose there have been many readjustments in geological time,

not only from ice sheet melt.

Len

[Graham Easterling]

  Indeed, many, many re-adjustments. In very few parts of the world is the land stable, even ignoring sea level changes. Cornwall is sinking, as is Scilly of course. You can see old field boundaries under the sea on Scilly, the water is so clear. There's a big sunken forest in Mount's Bay. The estuaries in Devon & Cornwall being flooded river valleys. I may have to move further inland!

One of the most spectacular changes is the rapid fall in sea level since the last major ice advance in Norway, due to isostatic re-adjustment. (The rise of the land following the melting of all the ice above.) Google will find you lots on this. Basically sea level is still falling over much of Scandinavia. Viking moorings for boats are now way above sea level.

Graham

[Graham Easterling]

OFF TOPIC!

The 300' raised beach, with the moors rising out of it, dominates the landscape of the Penwith (Lands End) Peninsula. So virtually wherever you are there's a steep 300' hill/cliff to go up, then a flat area (very wide as you get towards Lands End, then the moors taking you up another 300' or so.  It's actually tilted NNW-SSE slightly over gelogical time, so it's higher near the north coast. This means most stream tend to flow SEwards, the the raised beach near the south coast has been heavily eroded. 

View of the raised beach from Sennen looking NNE

& from the top of Chapel Carn Brea looking towards Sennen, Longships & Scilly.

Most of the farming is on the 'flat(ish - it's been tilted & eroded) raised beach. So near Zennor, looking across the raised beach from cliff top

Looking inland across the narrow farmed strip. A couple of my relations used to have small family farms in Penwith.

 

The field pattern is original celtic and is certainly the oldest in England & Wales There's a brilliant book, The "Making of the English landscape" by Hoskins.

I seemed to have driften into an alternative area of interest. Next Folk Rock bands of the 1970s.

Graham

Penzance

[Len]

Yes, but the term 'raised' beach gives the idea it has been pushed up which is not necessarily the case.

My wife is a Finland Swede and in my many visits to Finland and its south coast over 50 years you can see the effect of a slow rise in land due to the isostatic readjustment since the retreat of the ice sheets. It is a nuisance because there are many reeds where a few years ago there was clear water and easy access for boats.

Len