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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Primary contact
David
Bowsher
Director of Research
Museum of London Archaeology
Mortimer Wheeler House
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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
Withernsea to Spurn Point Character Area
Present Day Form
The character area is situated in the north-western extent of the study area on the coast, in the parish of East Riding in Yorkshire. The area is entirely land based. The settlement of Withernsea lies upon deposits of unconsolidated till. This material was deposited by glaciers during the last ice age 18,000 years ago. The underlying geology is chalk, boulder clay and glacial moraine.
The coastline is subject to severe erosion from the sea and the low till cliffs are being eroded at rates in excess of 2.5 m a-1 (Hull University 1994). The erosion exposes sections of the Devensian till, alluvium and occasional patches of peat and tree remains.
Sea Use: Present
The area is dominated by rural settlement but also contains industrial features such as oil terminals and wind farms. A large gas terminal and associated works is situated at Easington, which has a number of pipelines connected to offshore gas fields. Easington contains the following pipelines: Cleeton to Dimlington, Rough to Easington, Easington to 47/3B, West sole to Easington, Amethyst to Easington.
A number of settlements with maritime character fall within the area. Most of these are ancient fishing villages which grew up in relation to the crab and lobster fishing industry that is very prevalent in this area. 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, because of the decline of whitefish longlining, it now takes place virtually all year round.
The village of Hollym is situated within the character area. It contains an airfield, which lies just to the north of the village and is suitable for light aircraft.
The village of Holmpton is also located in Holderness and is home to RAF Holmpton. This was built originally as an early warning radar station and currently being refurbished as an archive and visitor attraction.
The village of Easington is situated between the Humber estuary and the North Sea at the south-eastern corner of the county. It is the site of a natural gas terminal for the Langeled pipeline, as well as three other gas terminals operated by BP and Centrica.
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.
The area occupied by fishing related settlements on this line of coast was originally much larger. Over 30 villages have been lost to the sea since the medieval period, because of the accelerated coastal erosion that is taking place in the area (Hull University 1994).
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 area has potential for the survival of archaeological remains from all periods. The East Riding coastal zone has a rich archaeological resource ranging from Mesolithic habitation sites to Bronze Age burial mounds. There used to be an extensive system of Roman signal stations on the coast but this has been lost due to erosion. The post-medieval sites of note in the area include lighthouses, coastguard stations, remains associated with the fishing industry and a wealth of military installations, including major 20th-century defensive works and radar stations.
Character Perceptions
Withernsea to Spurn Point is perceived as a rural settlement area with elements of industry and recreation. The area is a popular holiday destination and contains a number of caravan parks, mostly centred around Withernsea. The area also falls partially within the Humber Estuary SSSI.
References
de Boer, G, 1963 Spurn Point and its predecessors. The Naturalist, 113-20
Brenchely P J, Rawson P F, 2006 The Geology of England and Wales
Pevsner, Nikolaus, David Neave, 2002 Yorkshire: York and the East Riding: The Buildings of England (2nd Ed. ed.)
University of Hull, Archaeology & the Historic Environment in the Parish of Withernsea: www.hull.ac.uk/coastalobs/withernsea/history/index.html
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
