Today we went up the iconic Nine Standards Rigg at Kirkby Stephen. There were amazing views along the Pennines, over into the Lake District and across to Teeside. Near the summit, we were walking alongside Faraday Gill. Northerners will know that a gill is a stream. Here is a picture of the useless bridge over Faraday Gill.
What got me excited is that Faraday is such an unusual name. Michael Faraday was one of the most amazing physicists ever, having discovered so much about electromagnetism. He was a great experimenter: I have a lot of respect for experimental physicists. Looking up the connection, Wikipedia informs me that there is a road Kirkby Stephen named after Michael Faraday's uncle who traded in the town. Michael Faraday's father was a blacksmith in a hamlet very close to Kirkby Stephen but moved to London before Michael Faraday was born. The naming of the gill must surely have something to do with the family. Another Cumbrian Physics connection. Hurrah!
Below is a picture of the shale beds uncovered by Faraday Gill. How much shale gas is locked up in here??
