This was not the intended post … that's coming … but this intrigued me … being a committed Cornishlady …
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| The three ancient continental land masses |
I must have been looking for something (understatement) but came across this Facebook post from the University of Plymouth … at the boundary of Cornwall and Devon …
… it was subtitled: Cornwall – a different people, a different land! - though I wasn't born there (my mother's family is from St Ives) … this could so easily apply to me.
I've plagiarised/ summarised /messed with their 2019 FB post – but linked back so you can see the whole …
World Heritage Mining Walk
(Botallack is marked -
part of 'The Crown Mine' estate)
Geology has always fascinated me … and coming from the land of the tin mines, it makes sense – in fact my disastrous marriage was celebrated in a tin mine counting house at Botallack … the culinary celebration was very good – the rest: not so …
I wrote about Bewitching Breeches at Botallack for my 'B' post in the 2015 A-Z challenge 'Aspects of British Cornish.
Avalonia
The University of Plymouth believe that a third ancient continental land mass melded this Albion isle … as shown in the image posted above …
It's been known that Avalonia formed most of England, which then formed an attachment to Laurasia … part of the Laurentian land mass, which at one stage formed part of the ancient continent of Euramerica/Laurussia …
It always amazes me that these continental plates 'moved around' so much, and at one stage (long, long ago) we could have walked to north America …
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| Folded old red sandstone rock formation at St Anne's, Wales |
...the Old Red Sandstone is an assemblage of rocks in the North Atlantic region – which extends from Great Britain, Ireland and Norway across to Greenland and northern eastern Canada and the USA …
Another A – Z post on Aspects of British Coasts – the 'G' post: G is for Geology, Gneiss, Groynes, 'Grippers' … gives another view …
Geology of Great Britain (see Wiki)
I think I've probably almost ruined the idea about the world and its tectonic plates … but there is a link – to my next incredible story … colouring books from the 1600s – who'd have thought?!
Patience is a virtue … thanks for reading though …
The ancient Celtic tribes of southern
England (Dumnonii - Cornwall and Devon)
University of Plymouth Facebook post September 2019;
Avalonia – c/o Wikipedia
Laurasia – c/o Wikipedia
Hilary Melton-Butcher
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29 comments:
Hari OM
This is something that has always fascinated me... though I paid more attention to Gondwanaland, from which my beloved OZ arose! I wonder what the continents will look like in another 100k years... YAM xx
Hi Yam - Gondwanaland too was my main knowledge area - especially with the connection to Namibia and southern Africa. Quite honestly I don't think much change in the next 100k years ... half a billion years ... those continental plates will have wandered far and wide, or crashed nearer ... I'd love to know - sadly life isn't that long! Cheers Hilary
I do love the rabbit holes you so often take us down. Many, many thanks.
Thanks for this discourse on plate tectonics, Hilary, and all I can say is that I wish you could still walk to North America. You bring the Cornish pasties and I’ll supply the ale, and a fine lunch we will have! As always, it has been great fun to follow the twists and turns of your ever inquisitive mind. All the best - David
Shifting continents have always fascinated me. Nothing remains the same forever.
It would be great if we could still walk to North America, or maybe drive would be better. I just wonder how many of these countries are still on the move and how many of them are changing shape still. Weather is certainly on the move which could speed things up somewhat. Cheers Diane
When you are identifying as Cornish, do you ever think about language and/or accent? Do people identify you, the second after you start speaking?
I like to think I speak Hebrew fluently, yet AS SOON as I say my first sentence, Israelis ask me if I come from Melbourne or Sydney :)
@ EC - I take myself down way too many rabbit holes ... the next post will confirm that!
@ David - well frankly I'm glad I'm not attempting to walk across to North America ... as I'd certainly have eaten all the pasties by the time I got anywhere near your coast! And I'd be in need of an ale or two, or three ... but the thought is certainly a great idea ... my poor mind - it does enjoy its wanderlust.
@ Janice - exactly shifting continents ... our short lives remain relatively as are, but time is moving earth along ...
@ Diane - I know ... we could have a picnic with various friends along the way ... pasties from me, ale from David, then your garden produce ... delicious!
Britain is moving all the time ... I can't remember the exact details - the Isle of Wight is going east; while we're sinking in the south east ... exact info - uncertain for now! So the continental plates and geological sheets are on the move all the time - thankfully microscopically in the scheme of things!!
@ Hels - I can recognise the Cornish 'twang' ... but I don't have it, nor can I mimic it. So people identify me as ha ome counties speaker - I think. I can't even do a South African accent - again I recognise them.
Yes - I can believe those that live in the main nation (as it is today - Israel) would recognise the Aussie twang ... it's interesting isn't it ...
Thanks to you for your comments - interesting ones ... we can all dream of meeting up - cheers Hilary
Another fascinating post, Hilary! This especially intrigued me:
"at one stage (long, long ago) we could have walked to north America"
Thanks for the education!
Sometimes you decide what to write in a comment and when you look up at the comment just before yours, and there it is! I was going to say the same as Debbie D. wrote above.
I wouldn't want to walk to North America. But what fun to drive there, or back closer to home for me. As always, Hilary, another interesting post. Thank you.
I'm doing well, just not blogging at this time.
Interesting those rocks span so far.
And now all I can think of are Cornish hens...
I liked Diane’s comment and how shifts could still occur. You do dig into interesting corners of the ever changing world. At this juncture, hope that somehow you don’t float off and join up with us. Way too wacky shenanigans in America. And crazier by the day.
I remember visiting Botallack - stunning position for a wedding! Shame the marriage didn’t live up to it.
Fascinating.. I wonder how fast those plates moved though.
Since I live in a very tectonically active area, I kind of get the whole moving land mass thing, but it's still fascinating. The time scales are almost incomprehensible.
I recognise the South West Coast path from the book The salt path. I always love stones and rocks and that red sand stone is very beautiful
These continental movements are still happening. America and Europe are moving apart an inch or two each year - enough of a difference for GPS satellites to measure.
@ Debbie - thanks, it would most definitely have been long, long ago that we could have walked across to meet up! It reminds us about tectonic plates ...
@ Inger - lovely to see you ... and good to read all is well, even if you're not blogging. I agree I'd definitely not want to walk to the Americas, but drive - not even sure ... but for you and Sweden - it's another fun thought ...
@ Alex - thanks the strata of our lands is fascinating. I always forget Americans love of Cornish hens ... I clarified about them in my O for Onen Hag Oll and Oddities under the A - Z Aspects of British Cornwall.
@ Joanne - shifts are still occurring as Ian's comment notes; We're not coming across to you - we're moving eastwards again as Ian mentions. Shenanigans here too ...
@ Anabel - such is life ... I made a bad choice - the setting is magnificent, except the weather didn't play ... it was typically Cornish ... very damp and misty!
@ Diane - they're moving very slowly ... Ian comments 1 - 2 inches per year apparently ...
@ Liz - you most certainly do live in the tectonically driven area of California ... so can understand. Also as you note ... time scales are incomprehensible, compared to our own short life-span ...
@ Marja - The Salt Path is a wonderful memoir ... it's been much admired ... I see they're making a film about the story. It is inspirational ... I've listened to various programmes about their lives. It's a true story .. and I agree ... life-affirming. I know you love the nature of New Zealand ...
@ Ian - thanks for your mention of continental movements and confirming we're still on the move ... at an inch or two each year - which is required to be measured by GPS satellites ...
How lovely to see you all - and thanks so much for your comments, great to hear from you - cheers Hilary
Very interesting, Hilary. I did dig into Great Britain's prehistoric past for one of my trilogies and loved every minute of it. Those folded old red sandstone formations at St Anne's, in Wales--gorgeous.
Some interesting facts I was not aware of! I do know that some Cornish folk would like to gain independence. My daughter's disastrous first marriage was held in Cornwall. The food was incredible, well it would be because I supplied it!
You know how to attract my attention, don't you?
Very interesting reading.
Loved this post. Can you imagine walking from your country to mine or vice versa?
Cheers,
@ Jacqui - I can imagine you looked into our historic and prehistoric past with the amount of research you do for your books. There's so much to learn ... I'd usually used Cornish rocks to 'show' things - but when the St Anne's ones came up - I couldn't resist.
@ Keith - yes ... I know about the idea of having a Cornish nation and be independent, not sure I agree. Haha about the food you organised for your daughter's weddings - those marriages made in '? where' can be sent to try us - and are better left to separate. My brother and his Cornish wife are very happy - thankfully.
@ Annalisa - I try and 'call people in to this blog' ... so am very glad this captured your Cornish attention! It was fun to learn about ...
@ Sandra - thank you ... no, I couldn't imagine walking across to see you (way too many blisters!) - though I must admit sometimes I'd love to catch up with blogging friends in real life. But I'm very happy living vicariously amongst the 'group' ...
Cheers and thanks for your visits ... Hilary
The movement of the continental plates has always fascinated me, too. So amazing how different our globe looked, ages ago!
It is amazing how much the plates have moved. Such a huge thing to marvel about actually.
@ Elizabeth - oh I so agree ... I'd love to see millennia and billennia into the future to see where they'd be at on this little ball of rock ...
@ Rosey - it is amazing that we've found out that the plates are floating in the crust on the mantle ... like you I can't compute ... but I do marvel how much we know ..
Thanks to you both for your visits - cheers Hilary
I've read these last two out of order. We live along the Connecticut River valley, which some geologists say resulted from a stretching event which, had it proceeded, would have separated New England along the Connecticut River and left you guys in possession of Massachusetts and Rhode Island—for the record, I'm not sure I would have minded.
Isn't it amazing where rabbit holes will take us. I go down some interesting ones- but I loved reading about what you discovered. Fascinating to think about the way things were long, long ago. Thanks for sharing! :)
@ Dan - not to worry ... how interesting - the tectonic plates have certainly moved around, joined, co-joined, bashed into each other ... wandered off - it's amazing what the world did look like all those years ago. I note that if we'd got Massachusetts and Rhode Island ... you'd have some straight lines to negotiate out of Connecticut ... Massachusetts goes quite far west (relatively!) ... It'd have made Scotland that much larger too - perhaps the dominant part of the UK ... I think I'll leave it there ...
@ Jess - you are so right ... I'm living in a few dozen of them at the moment ... and looking at Dan's comment I could go off on a few others. Just happy to have your comment and join me in one of my rabbit holes!
Cheers to you both - Hilary
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