England's Historic Seascapes: Withernsea to Skegness
Museum of London Archaeology, 2010. https://doi.org/10.5284/1000104. How to cite using this DOI
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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
North Hewett Character Area
Present Day Form
The North Hewett offshore character area is situated in the southern-eastern section of the study area off the northeast coast of Norfolk. The geology of the area is Chalk and Jurassic 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 30m and 50m and the maximum tidal range is c 3m.
Sea Use: Present
The North Hewett character area is predominantly associated with gas related industry. The gas fields are part of the Hewett group consisting of the smaller outliers Dawn, Dotty, Deborah, Della and Delilah. They were discovered between 1987 and 1997 and have relatively small reserves of c 4 billion cubic metres. The fields are connected directly to the Hewett field and then to Bacton Gas Terminal in Norfolk by two pipelines.
The principal fishing activity in the area is trawling in the deeps between the mega ripple shoals for white fish such as cod and whiting and flat fish such as sole and plaice. There is also fishing for brown and pink shrimp. The fishing in the character area is limited by the number of sea bed obstructions associated with gas exploitation.
Sea Use: Past
The North Hewett 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 avoided this area but 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. The area is part of the Leman Ground, a named fishing ground on Close's Fisherman's Chart (UKHO 1953). The chart describes the area as a good fishing ground in between the shoals. In the south, June to September are good months. The fish is Plaice, Soles, Cod and Dabs.
Archaeological Potential
The North Hewett 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 may contain wrecks and related material that lie on the sea floor or be buried beneath the sea floor. UKHO and NMR data show a total of 1 known wreck in this area, unnamed.
Character Perceptions
The area is perceived as an important industrial area as it contains gas fields in Hewett production group. It is also an offshore fishing ground.
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)
Gluyas J G, Hichens H M, 2002 The United Kingdom Oil and Gas Fields
