THE CLIMATE OF NOTTINGHAMSHIRE 57 



Local factors of altitude, slope and shelter, of course produce slight yet 

 noticeable differences of climate within short distances. Thus both the 

 temperature and rainfall conditions prevaihng at Mapperley, an elevated 

 and somewhat exposed suburb, (400 ft. O.D.) sometimes differ consider- 

 ably from those met with in the lower and more sheltered parts of the 

 city, (90-100 ft. O.D.). Doubtless, too, the Trent valley exerts some 

 influence upon meteorological phenomena in the region, though so far 

 little systematic observation has been attempted in this connection. 



Historical 



' At the meeting of the British Association in Nottingham, 1866, it was 

 generally felt that extended meteorological observations especially as to 

 temperature and rainfall were needed and that they should be conducted 

 as far as possible with instrumental and practical uniformity. According- 

 ly a station was established in Nottingham which has been maintained 

 without interruption up to the present period '. So runs the preface to 

 a pamphlet pubhshed in 1879 entitled 'The Meteorology of Nottingham, 

 1867-78 ', which was a collection of readings taken by M. O. Tarbotton, 

 the Town Surveyor of the time. Needless to say the local station referred 

 to continues its observations and in the meantime several others have 

 come into being. 



Before the time of Tarbotton, however, little interest was taken in 

 meteorology as far as Nottingham is concerned. Among the earliest 

 records is ' A Meteorological Register kept at Mansfield Woodhouse in 

 Nottinghamshire ' from the beginning of 1785 until the end of 1794. This 

 was published in 1795 and contains records of wind directions and the 

 ntimber of days in each month on which frost, snow and rain occurred. 

 Its compiler, Hayman Rooke, proffers the naive and disarming apology: 

 ' I do not pretend to offer this as a philosophical register; such an under- 

 taking would have required a stationary residence which I could not 

 conveniently submit to ". To Robert Lowe's well-known ' Survey of 

 Nottinghamshire Agriculture ', published in 1798, are appended rainfall 

 figures for several years recorded by W. Thompson, a resident of West 

 Bridgford. A real pioneer, nevertheless, is found in the vigorous person 

 of E. J. Lowe of Beeston who, in 1853, published ' The Climate of 

 Nottingham during the Year 1852 ', an historic document in the annals 

 of local meteorology. It is of special interest to recall that most of 

 Lowe's observations were made during his forty years' residence at High- 

 field House which stands only a few yards from the recording instru- 

 ments now in use at University College. In addition to this publication, 

 Lowe made a careful study of local rainfall conditions and prepared the 

 first records of monthly means. 



Later, at Hodsock Priory near Worksop. Colonel H. Mellish commenced 

 observations and established a fully-equipped station which continues to 

 keep records. Local meteorology is profoundly indebted to Colonel 

 Mellish. His rainfall map of Nottinghamshire (and accompanying paper) 

 was published in the Q. J. R. Met. Soc. 1893, and on his decease in 1927, 

 through the kindly offices of the Meteorological Society, his valuable 

 collection of works on meteorology and climatology passed to the library 



