List of earthquakes in the British Isles

Updated: 11/6/2025, 1:47:14 AM Wikipedia source

The following is a list of notable earthquakes that have affected the British Isles. On average, several hundred earthquakes are detected by the British Geological Survey each year, but almost all are far too faint to be felt by humans. Those that are felt generally cause very little damage. Nonetheless, earthquakes have on occasion resulted in considerable damage, most notably in 1580 and 1884; Musson (2003) reports that there have been ten documented fatalities – six caused by falling masonry and four by building collapse. The causes of earthquakes in the UK are unclear, but may include "regional compression caused by motion of the Earth’s tectonic plates, and uplift resulting from the melting of the ice sheets that covered many parts of Britain thousands of years ago." Medieval reports of "earthquakes" that threw down newly built cathedrals may simply have been catastrophic failure of overloaded masonry, particularly towers, rather than actual tectonic events.

Tables

· Earthquakes

15 April 1185

Date

15 April 1185

Location

Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England

Intensity

~VIII

Comments

Lincoln Cathedral badly damaged. See 1185 East Midlands earthquake.

20 February 1247

Date

20 February 1247

Location

South Wales to London, England

M L {\displaystyle M_{L}}

5.5≳5.5

Comments

Felt in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland

21 December 1248

Date

21 December 1248

Location

South West England

Intensity

VII–VIII

Comments

Wells Cathedral reported to have been badly damaged

11 September 1275

Date

11 September 1275

Location

South Wales to Southern England

Intensity

>VII

M L {\displaystyle M_{L}}

6.0~6.0

Casualties

Multiple fatalities

Comments

In Glastonbury, the Abbey was damaged and the Church of St. Michael on the Torr Hill destroyed. "Only contemporary report of earthquake fatalities before 1580". See 1275 British earthquake

21 May 1382

Date

21 May 1382

Location

Strait of Dover, England

Lat

51.34

Long

2.00

Intensity

VII–VIII

M L {\displaystyle M_{L}}

5.5>5.5

Comments

The bell tower of the cathedral was "severely damaged" and the six bells "shook down". Cloister walls to the Canterbury dormitory were ruined. In Kent, All Saints Church, West Stourmouth, was badly damaged. Felt in London (MMVI) and lent its name to the "Earthquake Synod". See 1382 Dover Straits earthquake

28 December 1480

Date

28 December 1480

Location

Norwich, England

Intensity

VIII

Comments

Severe damage reported affecting a wide area

6 April 1580

Date

6 April 1580

Location

Strait of Dover, England

Lat

51.06

Long

1.60

Intensity

VII–VIII

M L {\displaystyle M_{L}}

5.8~5.8

Casualties

2 fatalities

Comments

See Dover Straits earthquake of 1580

11 April 1650

Date

11 April 1650

Location

Cumberland, England

Lat

54.98

Long

−2.78

Intensity

VII

M L {\displaystyle M_{L}}

4.9

Comments

Epicentre probably near Carlisle, felt at Glasgow

18 September 1692

Date

18 September 1692

Location

Duchy of Brabant, Belgium

Lat

50.8

Long

4.8

M L {\displaystyle M_{L}}

6.0~6.0

Comments

Felt in most parts of England, France, Germany and the Netherlands

19 July 1727

Date

19 July 1727

Location

Swansea, Wales

Lat

51.57

Long

-3.76

Intensity

VII

M L {\displaystyle M_{L}}

3.3

Comments

Rang church bells as far away as Oxford.

8 September 1775

Date

8 September 1775

Location

Swansea, Wales

Lat

51.73

Long

−3.81

Intensity

VII

M L {\displaystyle M_{L}}

5.1

Comments

Some buildings said to have collapsed, felt from Devon to Lancashire to Surrey

7 September 1801

Date

7 September 1801

Location

Comrie, Perth and Kinross, Scotland

Lat

56.4

Long

−3.99

Intensity

M L {\displaystyle M_{L}}

4.6

Casualties

2 fatalities

Comments

Two farmworkers were killed when part of a barn collapsed

17 March 1816

Date

17 March 1816

Location

Mansfield, England

Lat

53.09

Long

−1.18

Intensity

VII

M L {\displaystyle M_{L}}

4.2

Casualties

Several injuries

Comments

Falling masonry injured several in the church at Mansfield, felt from Blackburn to Hull to Gumley

27 August 1834

Date

27 August 1834

Location

Chichester, England

Lat

50.82

Long

−0.82

Intensity

VII

M L {\displaystyle M_{L}}

3.3

Comments

Last in a sequence of damaging earthquakes starting with an event in September 1833 that caused the death of a quarryman

23 October 1839

Date

23 October 1839

Location

Comrie, Perth and Kinross, Scotland

Intensity

VII

M L {\displaystyle M_{L}}

4.8~4.8

Comments

Part of a long-lived earthquake swarm. This was the largest of all known Comrie earthquakes, and was felt over most of Scotland. It caused a dam near Stirling to breach.

9 November 1852

Date

9 November 1852

Location

Caernarfon, Wales

Lat

53.02

Long

−4.30

Intensity

VII

M L {\displaystyle M_{L}}

5.3

Comments

Similar to the 1984 Llŷn Peninsula earthquake, felt in Dublin, Belfast, Carlisle and Cheltenham

15 February 1865

Date

15 February 1865

Location

Barrow in Furness, England

Lat

54.07

Long

−3.18

Intensity

VIII

M L {\displaystyle M_{L}}

2.2

Comments

Small area of high intensity indicating a shallow focus (≤1 km)

28 November 1880

Date

28 November 1880

Location

Argyll, Argyll and Bute, Scotland

Lat

56.19

Long

−5.30

Intensity

M L {\displaystyle M_{L}}

5.2~5.2

Comments

Largest recorded earthquake in Scotland.

22 April 1884

Date

22 April 1884

Location

Colchester, Essex, England

Lat

51.82

Long

0.90

Intensity

VIII

M L {\displaystyle M_{L}}

4.6~4.6

Casualties

2 fatalities

Comments

The most damaging earthquake since 1580. At least two indirect fatalities reported. Felt in France and Belgium. See 1884 Colchester earthquake.

18 August 1892

Date

18 August 1892

Location

Pembroke, Wales

Lat

51.70

Long

−5.04

Intensity

VII

M L {\displaystyle M_{L}}

5.1

Comments

Felt most strongly in Wales and South West England, but also felt in SE Ireland

17 December 1896

Date

17 December 1896

Location

Hereford, England

Lat

52.02

Long

−2.55

Intensity

VII

Comments

Felt widely throughout England and Wales and E Ireland

18 September 1901

Date

18 September 1901

Location

Inverness, Scotland

Lat

57.43

Long

−4.32

Intensity

VII

M L {\displaystyle M_{L}}

5.0

Comments

Considerable minor damage, many falling chimney pots. Many foreshocks and aftershocks.

24 March 1903

Date

24 March 1903

Location

Derby, England

Lat

53.05

Long

−1.70

Intensity

VII

M L {\displaystyle M_{L}}

4.6

Comments

Felt from Hoylake, to Boston and Richmond to Barnt Green

27 June 1906

Date

27 June 1906

Location

Swansea, Wales

Lat

51.62

Long

−3.81

Intensity

VII

M L {\displaystyle M_{L}}

5.2

Casualties

3 injured

Comments

One of the most damaging British earthquakes of the 20th century. See 1906 Swansea earthquake.

14 January 1916

Date

14 January 1916

Location

Stafford, England

Lat

52.85

Long

−2.19

Intensity

VII

M L {\displaystyle M_{L}}

4.6

Comments

Significant damage at Chebsey

4 April 1924

Date

4 April 1924

Location

Mansfield, England

Lat

53.11

Long

−1.34

Intensity

VII

Comments

Most damaging of a sequence that started on 3 March

15 August 1926

Date

15 August 1926

Location

Ludlow, England

Lat

52.31

Long

−2.66

Intensity

VII

M L {\displaystyle M_{L}}

4.8

Comments

Felt from Plymouth to Hull

3 May 1931

Date

3 May 1931

Location

Manchester, England

Lat

53.50

Long

−2.35

Intensity

VII

M L {\displaystyle M_{L}}

3.7

Comments

Small but damaging earthquake

7 June 1931

Date

7 June 1931

Location

Dogger Bank, North Sea

Lat

54.08

Long

1.50

Intensity

VII

M L {\displaystyle M_{L}}

6.1

Casualties

2 fatalities

Comments

Strongest recorded instrumentally. See 1931 Dogger Bank earthquake.

16 July 1940

Date

16 July 1940

Location

Kilsyth, Scotland

Lat

56.00

Long

−4.00

Intensity

VII–VIII

M L {\displaystyle M_{L}}

3.7

Comments

House gable collapsed at Carronbridge

12 December 1940

Date

12 December 1940

Location

Caernarfon, Wales

Lat

53.03

Long

−4.18

Intensity

M L {\displaystyle M_{L}}

4.7

Casualties

1 fatalities

Comments

An elderly woman was killed after she fell down the stairs

30 December 1944

Date

30 December 1944

Location

Skipton, England

Lat

53.86

Long

−2.02

Intensity

VII

M L {\displaystyle M_{L}}

4.8

Comments

Generally minor damage

11 February 1957

Date

11 February 1957

Location

Derby, England

Lat

52.80

Long

−1.33

Intensity

VII

M L {\displaystyle M_{L}}

5.3

Comments

Felt across central England. Largest UK post-war earthquake until 1984, and one of the most damaging earthquakes of the twentieth century.

26 December 1979

Date

26 December 1979

Location

Longtown, Cumbria, England

Lat

55.03

Long

−2.82

Intensity

M L {\displaystyle M_{L}}

4.7

Comments

Damage to buildings in Canonbie, Carlisle, and Glasgow.

19 July 1984

Date

19 July 1984

Location

Llŷn Peninsula, Gwynedd, Wales

Lat

52.96

Long

−4.38

Intensity

VII

M L {\displaystyle M_{L}}

5.4

Casualties

Several injuries

Comments

Felt across Ireland and western Great Britain. See 1984 Llŷn Peninsula earthquake.

2 April 1990

Date

2 April 1990

Location

Bishop's Castle, England

Lat

52.43

Long

−3.03

Intensity

M L {\displaystyle M_{L}}

5.1

Comments

Very widely felt in Wales and England. See 1990 Bishop's Castle earthquake.

22 September 2002

Date

22 September 2002

Location

Dudley, West Midlands, England

Lat

52.53

Long

−2.16

Intensity

M L {\displaystyle M_{L}}

4.7

Comments

Widely felt in England and Wales.

21 October 2002

Date

21 October 2002

Location

Manchester, England

M L {\displaystyle M_{L}}

3.9

Comments

Largest in an earthquake swarm of 116 earthquakes, 36 of which were felt

28 April 2007

Date

28 April 2007

Location

Folkestone, Kent

Lat

51.10

Long

1.17

Intensity

M L {\displaystyle M_{L}}

4.3

Casualties

2 injured

Comments

Caused significant damage in Folkestone, felt throughout Kent. See 2007 Kent earthquake.

27 February 2008

Date

27 February 2008

Location

Market Rasen, Lincolnshire, England

Lat

53.400

Long

−0.332

Intensity

M L {\displaystyle M_{L}}

5.2

Casualties

1 injuries

Comments

Felt widely in England and Wales. See 2008 Market Rasen earthquake.

1 April 2011

Date

1 April 2011

Location

Blackpool, England

M L {\displaystyle M_{L}}

2.3

Comments

First of two minor earthquakes that were caused by fracking carried out by Cuadrilla

Note: The inclusion criteria for adding events are based on WikiProject Earthquakes' notability essay that was developed for stand alone articles. The principles described also apply to lists. In summary, only damaging, injurious, or deadly events should be recorded.

Date

Date	Location	Lat	Long	Intensity	}	Casualties	Comments	Source
15 April 1185	Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England			~VIII			Lincoln Cathedral badly damaged. See 1185 East Midlands earthquake.
20 February 1247	South Wales to London, England				5.5≳5.5		Felt in England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland
21 December 1248	South West England			VII–VIII			Wells Cathedral reported to have been badly damaged
11 September 1275	South Wales to Southern England			>VII	6.0~6.0	Multiple fatalities	In Glastonbury, the Abbey was damaged and the Church of St. Michael on the Torr Hill destroyed. "Only contemporary report of earthquake fatalities before 1580". See 1275 British earthquake
21 May 1382	Strait of Dover, England	51.34	2.00	VII–VIII	5.5>5.5		The bell tower of the cathedral was "severely damaged" and the six bells "shook down". Cloister walls to the Canterbury dormitory were ruined. In Kent, All Saints Church, West Stourmouth, was badly damaged. Felt in London (MMVI) and lent its name to the "Earthquake Synod". See 1382 Dover Straits earthquake
28 December 1480	Norwich, England			VIII			Severe damage reported affecting a wide area
6 April 1580	Strait of Dover, England	51.06	1.60	VII–VIII	5.8~5.8	2 fatalities	See Dover Straits earthquake of 1580
11 April 1650	Cumberland, England	54.98	−2.78	VII	4.9		Epicentre probably near Carlisle, felt at Glasgow
18 September 1692	Duchy of Brabant, Belgium	50.8	4.8		6.0~6.0		Felt in most parts of England, France, Germany and the Netherlands
19 July 1727	Swansea, Wales	51.57	-3.76	VII	3.3		Rang church bells as far away as Oxford.
8 September 1775	Swansea, Wales	51.73	−3.81	VII	5.1		Some buildings said to have collapsed, felt from Devon to Lancashire to Surrey
7 September 1801	Comrie, Perth and Kinross, Scotland	56.4	−3.99	VI	4.6	2 fatalities	Two farmworkers were killed when part of a barn collapsed
17 March 1816	Mansfield, England	53.09	−1.18	VII	4.2	Several injuries	Falling masonry injured several in the church at Mansfield, felt from Blackburn to Hull to Gumley
27 August 1834	Chichester, England	50.82	−0.82	VII	3.3		Last in a sequence of damaging earthquakes starting with an event in September 1833 that caused the death of a quarryman
23 October 1839	Comrie, Perth and Kinross, Scotland			VII	4.8~4.8		Part of a long-lived earthquake swarm. This was the largest of all known Comrie earthquakes, and was felt over most of Scotland. It caused a dam near Stirling to breach.
9 November 1852	Caernarfon, Wales	53.02	−4.30	VII	5.3		Similar to the 1984 Llŷn Peninsula earthquake, felt in Dublin, Belfast, Carlisle and Cheltenham
15 February 1865	Barrow in Furness, England	54.07	−3.18	VIII	2.2		Small area of high intensity indicating a shallow focus (≤1 km)
28 November 1880	Argyll, Argyll and Bute, Scotland	56.19	−5.30	VI	5.2~5.2		Largest recorded earthquake in Scotland.
22 April 1884	Colchester, Essex, England	51.82	0.90	VIII	4.6~4.6	2 fatalities	The most damaging earthquake since 1580. At least two indirect fatalities reported. Felt in France and Belgium. See 1884 Colchester earthquake.
18 August 1892	Pembroke, Wales	51.70	−5.04	VII	5.1		Felt most strongly in Wales and South West England, but also felt in SE Ireland
17 December 1896	Hereford, England	52.02	−2.55	VII			Felt widely throughout England and Wales and E Ireland
18 September 1901	Inverness, Scotland	57.43	−4.32	VII	5.0		Considerable minor damage, many falling chimney pots. Many foreshocks and aftershocks.
24 March 1903	Derby, England	53.05	−1.70	VII	4.6		Felt from Hoylake, to Boston and Richmond to Barnt Green
27 June 1906	Swansea, Wales	51.62	−3.81	VII	5.2	3 injured	One of the most damaging British earthquakes of the 20th century. See 1906 Swansea earthquake.
14 January 1916	Stafford, England	52.85	−2.19	VII	4.6		Significant damage at Chebsey
4 April 1924	Mansfield, England	53.11	−1.34	VII			Most damaging of a sequence that started on 3 March
15 August 1926	Ludlow, England	52.31	−2.66	VII	4.8		Felt from Plymouth to Hull
3 May 1931	Manchester, England	53.50	−2.35	VII	3.7		Small but damaging earthquake
7 June 1931	Dogger Bank, North Sea	54.08	1.50	VII	6.1	2 fatalities	Strongest recorded instrumentally. See 1931 Dogger Bank earthquake.
16 July 1940	Kilsyth, Scotland	56.00	−4.00	VII–VIII	3.7		House gable collapsed at Carronbridge
12 December 1940	Caernarfon, Wales	53.03	−4.18	V	4.7	1 fatalities	An elderly woman was killed after she fell down the stairs
30 December 1944	Skipton, England	53.86	−2.02	VII	4.8		Generally minor damage
11 February 1957	Derby, England	52.80	−1.33	VII	5.3		Felt across central England. Largest UK post-war earthquake until 1984, and one of the most damaging earthquakes of the twentieth century.
26 December 1979	Longtown, Cumbria, England	55.03	−2.82	VI	4.7		Damage to buildings in Canonbie, Carlisle, and Glasgow.
19 July 1984	Llŷn Peninsula, Gwynedd, Wales	52.96	−4.38	VII	5.4	Several injuries	Felt across Ireland and western Great Britain. See 1984 Llŷn Peninsula earthquake.
2 April 1990	Bishop's Castle, England	52.43	−3.03	VI	5.1		Very widely felt in Wales and England. See 1990 Bishop's Castle earthquake.
22 September 2002	Dudley, West Midlands, England	52.53	−2.16	V	4.7		Widely felt in England and Wales.
21 October 2002	Manchester, England				3.9		Largest in an earthquake swarm of 116 earthquakes, 36 of which were felt
28 April 2007	Folkestone, Kent	51.10	1.17	VI	4.3	2 injured	Caused significant damage in Folkestone, felt throughout Kent. See 2007 Kent earthquake.
27 February 2008	Market Rasen, Lincolnshire, England	53.400	−0.332	VI	5.2	1 injuries	Felt widely in England and Wales. See 2008 Market Rasen earthquake.
1 April 2011	Blackpool, England				2.3		First of two minor earthquakes that were caused by fracking carried out by Cuadrilla
Note: The inclusion criteria for adding events are based on WikiProject Earthquakes' notability essay that was developed for stand alone articles. The principles described also apply to lists. In summary, only damaging, injurious, or deadly events should be recorded.

References

"Earthquakes in the UK"
http://www.bgs.ac.uk/discoveringGeology/hazards/earthquakes/UK.html
"Notes on individual earthquakes"
https://web.archive.org/web/20110516173115/http://www.quakes.bgs.ac.uk/earthquakes/historical/historical_listing.htm
British History Online
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=46720&strquery=earthquake
"What was the largest British earthquake?"
http://www.seced.org.uk/images/newsletters/MUSSON.pdf
"UK Historical Earthquake Database"
http://www.quakes.bgs.ac.uk/historical/query_eq/
"Book 1, Ch. 17: From the Revolution to the death of William III', A New History of London: Including Westminster and Southwark (1773)"
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=46734&strquery=earthquake
Historical Seismology
https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-1-4020-8222-1_10
"The day an earthquake hit Swansea"
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/5118034.stm
"Earthquake bulletin 2002"
https://web.archive.org/web/20070711102328/http://www.earthquakes.bgs.ac.uk/aboutus/publications/bulletins/eqbull2002.pdf
"2007 Earthquake Bulletin"
https://web.archive.org/web/20080912155917/http://www.earthquakes.bgs.ac.uk/aboutus/publications/bulletins/Eqbull2007.pdf
"Market Rasen Earthquake 27 February 2008 00:56 UTC 5.2 ML"
https://web.archive.org/web/20080309224139/http://www.earthquakes.bgs.ac.uk/earthquakes/reports/market_rasen_27022008/market_rasen_27022008_intro.htm
The Daily Telegraph
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/energy/8864669/Cuadrilla-admits-drilling-caused-Blackpool-earthquakes.html