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
Off Easington Character Area
Present Day Form
Off Easington character area is situated in an inter-tidal and open water area in the north-western extent of the study area. It is immediately adjacent to the Withernsea to Spurn Point coast character area. The geology of the area comprises Chalk bedrock overlain by glacial till (clay, sand and gravel debris deposited from ice sheets) know as the Boulders Bank Formation. The water depth across the area varies between 10m and 15m and the maximum tidal range is 3-4 m. The seabed is gently undulating and consists of gravel and gravely sand.
Sea Use: Present
The area is dominated by features relating to coastal industry, in particular to crab and lobster fishing activity. The local fishermen launch their boats from the beaches along this line of coast and the crab and lobster fishing industry is the biggest employer in the area, apart from agriculture (Suddaby 1997). The industry used to be seasonal but now, because of the decline of whitefish longlining, it takes place virtually all year round. The area is also a spawning ground for sole and herring and a nursery for sprat, cod, plaice and lemon sole.
The beach has some recreational use but is mainly used for launching fishing boats (Figs).
A large number of pipelines cross the area on their way to the gas terminal at Easington (see Withernsea to Spurn Point coast character area).
Sea Use: Past
The crab and lobster fishing industries known from the area appear to be of some antiquity but it is not possible to state in which period the practice may have originated. It is thought that they may date back as far as the medieval period. It is probable that the area that is now the beach would have previously been located further inland as the coastline would have been further to the east in the medieval period and earlier. The area may have been dry land from the Roman period onwards.
Marine traffic would have historically used this area because of its proximity to the Humber navigation channel to the south.
Archaeological Potential
The shoreline in this area has changed considerably over the centuries. Many villages have been documented as being lost to the sea on this stretch of coast. Punnet's study maps the villages that have disappeared since the Roman period (Punnet 2000). The remains of these will exist somewhere under the sea in this area.
The character area has potential for archaeology from all periods; some of this will relate to human settlement activity (in the form of villages and settlement areas lost to the sea) and other evidence will relate to ancient maritime activity. The map evidence suggests that this part of the sea might have been dry land as recently as the Roman period and so there is potential for maritime archaeology from the Roman period onwards.
There is also potential for preserved palaeoenvironmental material such as submerged Prehistoric forest. The waterlogged environment means preservation of artefacts from earlier periods will be good. Numerous wrecks will be found in this area possibly dating from the Roman period onwards. Approximately 15 wrecks are recorded in the area; all appear to be fishing vessels dating from mid 1800s and later.
Character Perceptions
The Off Easington character area is perceived as being important for coastal industry, especially fishing. The cliffs along this stretch of coast are continually eroding and the present villages that are located in close proximity to the sea are at risk of being lost to the sea.
References
Suddaby, C, P, 1997 Defending your livelihood with little time, no money and few rights, web publication:
http://www.hull.ac.uk/cems/downloads/WOTS_suddaby.pdf
Punnett, N, 2000 Coastal erosion - back to nature in Geofile online, September 2000, web publication:
http://www.hull.ac.uk/coastalobs/general/erosionandflooding/erosion.html
