Barwell, 1965: Britain's Christmas Eve meteorite
The largest recorded meteorite fall in the United Kingdom.
At about 4.20 pm on Christmas Eve 1965, a fireball exploded over Leicestershire, and stones rained down on the village of Barwell. One went through a window and landed in a vase of flowers; others were found in gardens and streets.
Around 46 kg was recovered in total, the largest meteorite fall ever recorded in Britain. The main pieces are held by the Natural History Museum in London and in Leicester.
Barwell is an L5 ordinary chondrite. A plaque in the village marks the event.
In the catalogue
- Barwell L5, United Kingdom, 1965 · 44 kg