History of recording weather on the Hartland peninsula
Recording started at this - Hartland (Stoke) - weather station in mid October 2017.
Meteorological Recording in some form or another has taken place on the Hartland peninsula for well over a hundred years , though the records that survive are not continuous, vary in nature, and were made at a number of different sites.
So far, sources that I have identified for these records include :
This section examines :
The Records - the availability of weather records and their type
The Sites – a history of each site from where records were submitted
Over the years, rainfall and other weather data was received by “The British Rainfall Organisation”, then “Meteorological Office - The British Rainfall Organisation”, and then “Air Ministry - Meteorological Office - The British Rainfall Organisation” followed by “Meteorological Office – Air Ministry” and subsequent renamings and changes of organisation to what is now The Met Office.
The catalogue of records held in the Met Office Archive includes:
These were at :
These Stations were the principal Met Office ones on the Hartland peninsula, and were in operation in this sequence – though not necessarily submitting data for the full period.
I am not yet clear what happened in the intervals 1918-1920, and 1932 – 1937, and whether any Station operated pre-1917 but with no surviving records.
Held in the Met Office Archive are Station History Files of the Met Office inspections of Hartland Point, Hartland, and Gawlish (partial)
Rainfall Reporting Stations were at:
Meteorological Recording in some form or another has taken place on the Hartland peninsula for well over a hundred years , though the records that survive are not continuous, vary in nature, and were made at a number of different sites.
So far, sources that I have identified for these records include :
- “Hartland Chronicle” ( also called “Hartland and West Country Chronicle” for most of its life : Oct 1896 – July 1947 )
- “Hartland Times” ( published May 1981 – Sept 2014 )
- “The Hartland Post” ( first published 2014 )
- National Meteorological Library and Archive ( Met Office )
This section examines :
The Records - the availability of weather records and their type
The Sites – a history of each site from where records were submitted
The Records
The oldest records , held by the Met Office Archive, are for “Register of Rainfall” of 1884 submitted to “The British Rainfall Organisation” (and then incomplete series of records until 1926 ) by Mr G Sleep from Hartland AbbeyOver the years, rainfall and other weather data was received by “The British Rainfall Organisation”, then “Meteorological Office - The British Rainfall Organisation”, and then “Air Ministry - Meteorological Office - The British Rainfall Organisation” followed by “Meteorological Office – Air Ministry” and subsequent renamings and changes of organisation to what is now The Met Office.
The catalogue of records held in the Met Office Archive includes:
- Hartland Quay - Nat Grid Ref SS23X27X (unclear why partially censored – and anyway is probably inaccurate as Hartland Quay is SS 223247)- Records from the period 1917-1918 : Climatological returns. Described as “Meteorological Register for the month of December 1917 at the Telegraphic Reporting Station at Hartland Quay”.
- Hartland Quay - Records from the period Sep 1920 – Feb 1932 : Register of weather observations
- Hartland Fosfelle – No location given , but presumably at Fosfelle, Hartland, at SS263237 - Records from the period 1927 – 1959 : Rainfall records
- Hartland Point - Nat Grid Ref SS231275 - Records from the period 1938 – 1988 (incomplete) : Rainfall data, Climatological returns , and Register of weather observations
- Hartland - Nat Grid Ref SS273241 - Records from the period March 1983 – Dec 1988 (incomplete) : Rainfall data, and Climatological returns
- Hartland Gawlish – Nat Grid Ref SS253272 - Records from the period Feb 1989 – Dec 2005 (incomplete) : Barograms , Sunshine Cards, Rainfall data, Climatological returns, & Register of weather observations
- Clovelly Court – Rainfall records from 1927 – 2005 (missing data 1933-38, 1940-43 , and incomplete 1981-2005)
The Sites
The Weather Stations that submitted extensive meteorological data , and were subject to Met Office inspection and monitoring for most of their time, were run by members of the Coastguard service or (in the case of Gawlish, once the Coastguard Station at Hartland closed ) former Coastguard observers.These were at :
- Hartland Quay ( 1917-1918, and Sept 1920 – Feb 1932 )
- Hartland Point ( December 1937 – March 1983 )
- Hartland ( March 1983 – Dec 1988 )
- Gawlish ( Feb 1989 – Dec 2003 )
These Stations were the principal Met Office ones on the Hartland peninsula, and were in operation in this sequence – though not necessarily submitting data for the full period.
I am not yet clear what happened in the intervals 1918-1920, and 1932 – 1937, and whether any Station operated pre-1917 but with no surviving records.
Held in the Met Office Archive are Station History Files of the Met Office inspections of Hartland Point, Hartland, and Gawlish (partial)
Rainfall Reporting Stations were at:
- Hartland Abbey ( records 1884 - Jan 1927 )
- Fosfelle ( records 1927 – 1959 )
- Clovelly Court ( records Jan 1910 – Dec 1933 )
History of recording weather Nationally
Click on the Met Office button below for link to the Met Office Library and Archive site
