Oakham earthquake shakes buildings across region

An earthquake shook homes across the region on Wednesday night (28 January) with reports coming in from Peterborough, Stamford, Rutland and Grantham of tremors.
British Geological Survey map of Oakham earthquake tremor reports on Wednesday 28 JanuaryBritish Geological Survey map of Oakham earthquake tremor reports on Wednesday 28 January
British Geological Survey map of Oakham earthquake tremor reports on Wednesday 28 January

The epicentre was near Cottesmore, just north of Oakham, Rutland at 10.25pm.

The earthquake was felt across the area, with buildings shaken in Peterborough, Stamford, the Deepings, Spalding and in Grantham.

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Sarah Nice, a spokesman at the British Geological Survey said: “Somehing has definitely happened, we are getting reports from all over the place. There seems little doubt there has been an earthquake and we are waiting for more detailed reports from our seismologists as to where the epicentre is.”

On Twitter dozens of people contacted us to say they had felt the earthquake. Emma Bakewell said: “Earthquake felt in Deeping St James”, while Carrie Freman confirmed residents in Wittering felt the tremor.

In Peterborough Dan White said: “My room just started shaking and my mugs nearly fell off my shelf.”

Salottino’s Salon said: “Whole house shook in Hampton Hargate”, and Craig Lyons in Bourne said “bed shook and pottery clinked together, lasted five to ten seconds.”

The earthquake was the second in two days to hit the UK.

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The latest earthquake, measuring 3.8 on the Richter scale, hit Cottesmore, in Rutland, at 10.25pm and came after an earthquake with a magnitude of 2.9 was recorded in Winchester last night.

Residents took to Twitter to tell of their shock after realising an earthquake had struck.

Sally Smart wrote: “Earthquake wow that was a biggen!! Thought a truck was coming through the house #adrenalinepumping.”

Others posted photographs of framed pictures hanging on the walls slightly askew to show the aftermath of the earthquake.

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It comes after an earthquake hit Winchester yesterday with police receiving reports of something which “felt like an explosion which shook their houses”.

That quake is believed to have hit the Hampshire town at about 6.30pm at a depth of three kilometres, according to the BGS website.

A police spokesman said that no explanation or cause for the shaking could be found and no injuries had been reported.

The BGS said it had received a report from a residents who said “the whole bed was visibly shaking” as well as one who said the earthquake sounded “like a bus” crashing “into the neighbours house at speed”.

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Another told the BGS: “At least five other households ran outside to make sense of what had shook the houses.

Did you feel the earthquake? Add a comment below or email our news teams:

Peterborough - [email protected].

Stamford, Rutland, Bourne and the Deepings - [email protected].