Approximately how long ago did Britain become permanently separated from the European continent by the English Channel?

Okay, so Britain wasn't always an island! For a very long time, it was actually connected to mainland Europe. This connection existed during the last Ice Age when sea levels were much lower because so much water was frozen in ice sheets. People and animals could freely roam between what we now know as Britain and countries like France and Belgium. As the Ice Age ended, the climate warmed, and those massive ice sheets began to melt. This meltwater caused sea levels to rise dramatically. Over thousands of years, the rising water gradually flooded the land that connected Britain to Europe. Eventually, around 10,000 years ago, the English Channel was fully formed, permanently separating Britain from the continent. So, while it might be tempting to think of this separation happening more recently, it's important to remember the timescale of geological events and the impact of the last Ice Age.