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The 1607 Flood
                  A tsunami in the Bristol Channel?

                     Lecture to the Geographical Association
                             King’s College, Taunton
                               15th November 2012




Professor Simon Haslett       @ProfSHaslett
University of Wales
With Dr Ted Bryant, University of Wollongong
My co-author: Dr Ted Bryant




              2001, Cambridge University Press
Our research is still topical!
               • BBC2 Coasts
               • Wales – Border to
                 Border
               • Still being repeated at
                 present.
               • Tsunami in Cornwall
                 in 2011!
               • Also, featuring in the
                 nuclear power debate
                 as a risk.
Friday 11th March 2011
Japan Tsunami
Evidence of the 1607 flood 1
Contemporary historic
   pamphlets giving the:
1. date (20th Jan 1606 =
   30th Jan 1607)
2. timing (“about nine in
   the morning” in
   Somerset)
3. details of damage
   (2000 deaths and
   great economic loss).
Burnham 1607 tides (HW at 8.28am)
Evidence of the 1607 flood 2




• Commemorative plaques and inscriptions in/on
  churches in South Wales and Somerset.
Evidence of the 1607 flood 2




Redwick Church, Gwent
Tsunami theory for the 1607 flood
Some contradictory
   meteorological reports
e.g. “a violent sea wind”
   (Camden, 1607) vs. “the
   morning … so fayrely and
   brightly spred” (Harleian
   Miscellany, 1607).
Descriptions of a “wave”
   reminiscent of a tsunami
   rather than a storm e.g.
   “wave’s furie”.
Extract from God’s warning
   to his people of England
Extracts from Lamentable Newes out of
              Monmouthshire
  Wave velocity




Inland Penetration
Tsunami theory (cont.)
Enigmatic physical features:
1. Sand layers possibly deposited by “storms”
   (e.g. Rumney and Hill; Allen, 1987, 1992).
2. Erosion of nearly all contemporary salt-marsh
   in the Severn Estuary (Allen, 1987).
3. Land erosion (e.g. English Stones, Gravel
   Banks and Oldbury, where seabanks were
   reset in the early C17th when “environmental
   change forced a substantial south-easterly
   retreat of the edge of the alluvial outcrop”, Allen
   & Fulford, 1992, pp. 96-97).
Click here to read paper.
Testing the tsunami theory:
      The 2004 Field Season
• Visit key locations mentioned in the
  pamphlets and gain background detail.
• Examine coastal landscapes and sample
  sedimentary sequences for tsunami
  signatures (e.g. Bryant, 2001).
• Investigate enigmatic sites identified by
  Bryant & Haslett (2002) e.g. Rumney, Hill,
  Oldbury and collect samples.
• Undertake laboratory analysis of samples.
Sampling the
Rumney sand layer
Measuring boulder
dimensions at
Dunraven Bay
Viewer’s letters examples
• 2.8 million viewers watched the 1st April
  broadcast (5 million now for all broadcasts)!
• Hundreds of letters and emails received.
• Location of gravestones of 1607 victims.
• Location of a mass grave of 1607 victims.
• Other tsunami-like waves experienced in the
  Bristol Channel (on fine days).
• Locations of unpublished sand layers.
• Forgotten historic documents (maps, parish
  records, etc).
• Other academics initiating research in the area.
• Offers of help in the field!
Cause of a possible tsunami
• Submarine landslide off the continental
  slope west of the British Isles: our
  preferred cause, but discounted by others.
• Earthquake: Roger Musson, BGS (2005,
  BBC2 Timewatch), favours activity along a
  fault off south-west Ireland, which Bill
  McGuire (2005, New Scientist) highlights.
• Volcanic eruption/comet impact possible?
Submarine slide




Source: GEBCO bathymetry
Further Reading
•       Somerset Landscapes: Geology and Landscapes
•       Case study: The 1607 flood
•       Includes relevant bibliography

•       £16.99 from Amazon

•       Special offer £10 tonight
•       Or email BlackBarnBooks@aol.com
•       State ‘Taunton’ in email
•       You’ll be sent a discount link
    –     £10 (+ £2.80 p&p)
    –     Valid until end of November 2012

•       THANKS TO:

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The 1607 Flood: a tsunami in the Bristol Channel?

  • 1. The 1607 Flood A tsunami in the Bristol Channel? Lecture to the Geographical Association King’s College, Taunton 15th November 2012 Professor Simon Haslett @ProfSHaslett University of Wales With Dr Ted Bryant, University of Wollongong
  • 2. My co-author: Dr Ted Bryant 2001, Cambridge University Press
  • 3. Our research is still topical! • BBC2 Coasts • Wales – Border to Border • Still being repeated at present. • Tsunami in Cornwall in 2011! • Also, featuring in the nuclear power debate as a risk.
  • 4. Friday 11th March 2011 Japan Tsunami
  • 5.
  • 6.
  • 7.
  • 8. Evidence of the 1607 flood 1 Contemporary historic pamphlets giving the: 1. date (20th Jan 1606 = 30th Jan 1607) 2. timing (“about nine in the morning” in Somerset) 3. details of damage (2000 deaths and great economic loss).
  • 9. Burnham 1607 tides (HW at 8.28am)
  • 10.
  • 11. Evidence of the 1607 flood 2 • Commemorative plaques and inscriptions in/on churches in South Wales and Somerset.
  • 12. Evidence of the 1607 flood 2 Redwick Church, Gwent
  • 13.
  • 14. Tsunami theory for the 1607 flood Some contradictory meteorological reports e.g. “a violent sea wind” (Camden, 1607) vs. “the morning … so fayrely and brightly spred” (Harleian Miscellany, 1607). Descriptions of a “wave” reminiscent of a tsunami rather than a storm e.g. “wave’s furie”. Extract from God’s warning to his people of England
  • 15. Extracts from Lamentable Newes out of Monmouthshire Wave velocity Inland Penetration
  • 16. Tsunami theory (cont.) Enigmatic physical features: 1. Sand layers possibly deposited by “storms” (e.g. Rumney and Hill; Allen, 1987, 1992). 2. Erosion of nearly all contemporary salt-marsh in the Severn Estuary (Allen, 1987). 3. Land erosion (e.g. English Stones, Gravel Banks and Oldbury, where seabanks were reset in the early C17th when “environmental change forced a substantial south-easterly retreat of the edge of the alluvial outcrop”, Allen & Fulford, 1992, pp. 96-97).
  • 17. Click here to read paper.
  • 18. Testing the tsunami theory: The 2004 Field Season • Visit key locations mentioned in the pamphlets and gain background detail. • Examine coastal landscapes and sample sedimentary sequences for tsunami signatures (e.g. Bryant, 2001). • Investigate enigmatic sites identified by Bryant & Haslett (2002) e.g. Rumney, Hill, Oldbury and collect samples. • Undertake laboratory analysis of samples.
  • 21.
  • 22.
  • 23.
  • 24.
  • 25.
  • 26.
  • 27.
  • 28.
  • 29.
  • 30.
  • 31. Viewer’s letters examples • 2.8 million viewers watched the 1st April broadcast (5 million now for all broadcasts)! • Hundreds of letters and emails received. • Location of gravestones of 1607 victims. • Location of a mass grave of 1607 victims. • Other tsunami-like waves experienced in the Bristol Channel (on fine days). • Locations of unpublished sand layers. • Forgotten historic documents (maps, parish records, etc). • Other academics initiating research in the area. • Offers of help in the field!
  • 32. Cause of a possible tsunami • Submarine landslide off the continental slope west of the British Isles: our preferred cause, but discounted by others. • Earthquake: Roger Musson, BGS (2005, BBC2 Timewatch), favours activity along a fault off south-west Ireland, which Bill McGuire (2005, New Scientist) highlights. • Volcanic eruption/comet impact possible?
  • 34. Further Reading • Somerset Landscapes: Geology and Landscapes • Case study: The 1607 flood • Includes relevant bibliography • £16.99 from Amazon • Special offer £10 tonight • Or email BlackBarnBooks@aol.com • State ‘Taunton’ in email • You’ll be sent a discount link – £10 (+ £2.80 p&p) – Valid until end of November 2012 • THANKS TO: