Arcadia Discussion Zone

A news report on the latest incarnation of "The Hum", a "mysterious sound on the very edge of perception" currently afflicting a small County Durham village.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/ ... e-hum.html

Some general background on this curious and unexplained phenomenon.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hum

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/5404577/X-Files-hum-hits-Cornwall.html

The irritating and unidentifiable sound, which has been reported in locations throughout the world, is driving residents in Mawnan to search for an explanation.

Now the parish council has been asked to launch an investigation to find the source.

"It's a constant very low-frequency humming noise that can be heard between midnight and 4am and it's stopping me from sleeping," she says. "In certain areas of the house you can hear it more loudly. It is definitely from outside, it's in the air, all around, very faint. It vibrates through the house. We've turned all the electricity off in the house and we can still hear it, so it's not that.

"Sometimes we'll be in bed and it vibrates right through our bed, like a throbbing. It's not tinnitus, that's a high pitched sound and this is very low. If I put my fingers in my ears it stops, so I know it's not in my head. At 4am it's so clear, and because we live in such a isolated place with no traffic, it's heaven.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/the-northerner/2011/jun/09/hum-woodlands-durham-hamsterley-bristol-largs-gateshead-newcastle-cakebook-surtees

Interesting Richard thanks

.....first thing would be to find out where the nearest industrial wind-turbines are located...they are often the main culprit and there are a lot of these gigantic constructions in the area... The North East's largest wind farm lies within the South West wind corridor of County Durham, with many more in the planning stage.

But it seems that....

A good way to transmit ULF sounds to Woodlands would be via the underground disused coal shafts, the village is riddled with them, Woodlands appears to have been dominated by lead and coal mining in the medieval and post-medieval period...

I wonder if it is anything to do with this :-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydraulic_fracturing

there is a US firm trying to establish fracking rights in a number of places in the UK. Indeed my sister-in-law has been involved in a campaign to stop this in south Wales where she lives.
Really this form of mining is something we should all be aware of

i agree completely, Gas and Oil Hydrofracking should be nipped in the bud before untold damage is done....but in the Woodlands case the mine shafts and air vents are right in the vicinity of the Wind Turbines and are part of a huge ancient mining complex that includes the village itself.

A follow up article below on "The Hum", in the form of an account of a night spent in the County Durham village when the sound predictably fails to materialise. It includes a video clip.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/countr ... again.html

you beat me to it Richard ..... if the dogs hadn't exploded into life due to the long suffering Postman at the end of the driveway (delivering my latest s/h book purchase)......our posts would have coincided.