England's Historic Seascapes: Withernsea to Skegness
Museum of London Archaeology, 2010. https://doi.org/10.5284/1000104. How to cite using this DOI
Data copyright © Historic England unless otherwise stated
This work is licensed under the ADS Terms of Use and Access.
Primary contact
David
Bowsher
Director of Research
Museum of London Archaeology
Mortimer Wheeler House
46 Eagle Wharf Road
London
N1 7ED
UK
Tel: 020 7410 2285
Resource identifiers
- ADS Collection: 935
- ALSF Project Number: 4730
- DOI:https://doi.org/10.5284/1000104
- How to cite using this DOI
Cromer Knoll Character Area
Present Day Form
Cromer Knoll is located in the south-central part of the study area, approximately half way between the coastline and the median line with Holland. It is adjacent to the major gas fields of the Hewett and Leman areas off the northeast coast of Norfolk. The geology of the area comprises Chalk bedrock overlain by glacial till (clay, sand and gravel debris deposited from ice sheets) known as the Boulders Bank Formation. The water depth across the area varies between 15 m and 30 m and the maximum tidal range is 2-3 m.
Sea Use: Present
The dominant character of Cromer Knoll is navigation because of the presence of a series of knolls, after which this area of the seabed is named. The knolls present a hazard to navigation and fishing. The area also contains gas and oil fields, which are not currently pipelined. The principal fishing activity in the area is for sole and whiting by beam trawlers.
Sea Use: Past
The Cromer Knoll character area has been shaped by thousands of years of dynamic sea level changes and erosion and deposition. The relatively shallow nature of the sea bed means that the area was dry land almost certainly in the Upper Palaeolithic, Mesolithic. Marine traffic would have historically used this area because of it's proximity to the Outer Dowsing Navigation Channel to the west and numerous wrecks will be found here possibly dating from the Roman period onwards.
Fishing activity would have been carried out in the area from the medieval period onwards. Cromer Knoll is situated in close proximity to the Leman fishing ground, named on the Close's Fisherman's Chart (UKHO 1953). The area is described as a good fishing ground in between the shoals. In the south, June to Sept are good months. Fish: Plaice Soles Cod and Dabs.
Archaeological Potential
The Cromer Knoll character area has potential for the presence of drowned land surfaces resulting from the fact that sea level has fluctuated between -120 metres and +10 metres over the past 500,000 years. From the period 500,000 BP to 22,000 BP (before present), human population levels were low, and little more than stray finds may be expected, although these may still be of considerable archaeological importance.
From 22,000 BP to 2100 BP parts of the North Sea were dry land and human population levels were higher, especially in the Mesolithic age. Finds dating to the Mesolithic have been found to a depth of 40m so any area of sea bed above that has potential for habitation. Inundation of the North Sea landscapes occurred between 10,000 and 6,000 BP and the most likely evidence for human occupation would be, therefore, Mesolithic in date. Earlier Palaeolithic occupation is less likely to be found and later Neolithic occupation is likely to have been limited to the inshore and very highest of the banks and shoals such as the Dogger Bank.
The area's position makes it a possible Upper Palaeolithic and Mesolithic habitation site. Over the last 6000 years (if not more), humans have used sea faring vessels and this area being close to a navigation channel (see above) has many wrecks.
Character Perceptions
The area is perceived as an area with distinctive seabed features and is, therefore, strongly associated with navigation. The area is also associated with fishing activity and contains oil and gas industry.
References
Close's Fisherman's Chart (UKHO 1953)
Fisheries Sensitivity Maps in British Waters (MAFF 1989)
Scandoil, North Sea Oil and Gas production Fields (Scandoil Oil and Gas Magazine online)
