Steve, A few points to ponder on.
The word "acre" is derived from an Anglo-Saxon word meaning "field". In fact the German word for "field" is "akker". The churchyard is often known as "God's Acre", not because it is 4840 square yards, but because it is a "field". Secondly, the fields that you see from the air that are neatly divided by hedgerows are not "acres" - the traces of the original acres that can be seen sometimes are shown on ordinance survey maps as "medieval strips" (or words to that effect. -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Stephen Humphreys Sent: 26 July 2007 13:16 To: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:39191] RE: Pure SI for area in UK? I believe it's 22 x 220 yds. As you approach the UK from the air you can see land carved up into multiple of acres - I guess from older times when it was linked to how much you could plough in a day! >From: "Michael Payne" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Reply-To: "Michael Payne" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, "U.S. Metric Association" ><[email protected]> >Subject: Re: [USMA:39155] RE: Pure SI for area in UK? >Date: Thu, 26 Jul 2007 00:57:46 +0000 > >I've found that most people have no idea what an acre is either. Turns out >it's an area for which no one has any idea of the size. > >Mike Payne >----- Original Message ----- From: "Stephen Humphreys" ><[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> >Sent: Monday, 23 July 2007 09:25 >Subject: [USMA:39155] RE: Pure SI for area in UK? > > >> >>I don't think that many people will know what a hectare is in the UK as >>output usually talks of acres. Similarly estate agents talk about area in >>terms of acres although I have seen bracketed ha quoted after sometimes to >>a ridiculous acuracy (as if someone got the calculator out). This BBC >>page is odd that it uses only ha (they usually quote the two systems) >> >>>From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>>Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>>To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[email protected]> >>>Subject: [USMA:39149] Pure SI for area in UK? >>>Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2007 01:54:58 +0000 >>> >>>I noticed in this BBC News science article that only the hectare is used >>>for area. >>>It looks like non-SI units for area are either a vanishing breed or gone >>>altogether: >>> >>>http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6909249.stm >>> >>>Perhaps UK readers can confirm. >>> >>>Ezra >>> >> >>_________________________________________________________________ >>The next generation of Hotmail is here! http://www.newhotmail.co.uk >> > _________________________________________________________________ The next generation of Hotmail is here! http://www.newhotmail.co.uk
