Wem: Residents surprised as town struck by earthquake

The earth shuddered as the earthquake struck just after 2.45pm on Monday, May 30, with the epicentre just outside the town in the vicinity of Soulton Hall.

There was no reported damage from the phenomenon – and the people of Wem said they treated it with good humour.

Cara Naylor was working in Scrivens in High Street when she first felt the earth shaking.

She added: "I was sitting here when the shop moved.

"People were walking past normally and I was wondering whether I had imagined it.

"Everyone was taking the mickey out of everyone for overreacting – it's quite typical Wem to be a bit tongue-in-cheek about it."

Danni Price, who works in Euronics in High Street had presumed the thud came from people who live above the shop, until her colleague raised the possibility of a quake.

She explained: "Dennis and I stood here and there was a thud which I thought came from upstairs because we have got people who live above the shop.

"I thought he was just joking when he asked whether it was an earthquake, but then you could feel the floor and the counter shake.

"It was then the office phoned us from over at Prees so we jokingly said to them did you just feel an earthquake and that was the reason for the call.

"It was quite evident then it was an earthquake."

Pam King who works in Wem Town Hall said when she heard the rumble she presumed it was a lorry.

Pam added: "To be quite honest with you, we sit here and we have so many lorries that go past which weigh a few tonnes that when it did rumble I thought it was a lorry, so I didn't bat an eye lid."

Her colleague Coral Perrin said she was watching a film when she first heard the tremor.

She added: "I was in the middle of the cinema and I was watching a film and we had just got to a battle scene.

Coral Perrin and Megan Church.

"And all suddenly the floor rumbled and I thought, I'm sure I shouldn't feel the film."

Soulton Hall, which is just outside Wem, was within two miles of the epicentre.

A spokesman for the manor tweeted: "Soulton was within two miles of the epicentre of the Wem earthquake at around 3.30pm today.

"We are touched that people have been in touch to ask if we are okay.

"Everything is fine."

The British Geological Survey said it had received reports of the tremor but added damage was unlikely.

High Street in Wem

A spokesman said: "We can confirm that a magnitude 3.8 magnitude earthquake was detected by our sensors at 2.47pm on May 30 2022, approximately 16km north-east of Shrewsbury.

"We have received a number of reports that it was felt by people in the region.

"An earthquake of this size can result in strong shaking within about 10km of the epicentre but damage is unlikely.

"The earthquake may have been felt at distances as far as 100km away."