Holderness (Coasts)

Question 1

Where is the Holderness coast located, where does it stretch from and to

Answer 1

It is located along the coast of East Yorkshire. It stretches from Flamborough Head to Spurn Head (along the River Humber estuary)

Question 2

How long is the Holderness coast

Answer 2

61 km

Question 3

How much of the Holderness coast has been lost in the past 2000 years and how many villages were lost with this land

Answer 3

4 km has been lost alongside 30 villages

Question 4

What is the current rate of erosion reaching in some areas of Holderness

Answer 4

the erosion rate reaches up to 10 metres per year in places such as Great Cowden

Question 5

Why is erosion predicted to increase along the Holderness coast

Answer 5

Climate change is leading to sea level rise and the UK is predicted to face more frequent storm event. These will both hasten erosion

Question 6

What rock makes up the Holderness coast, how does this impact erosion

Answer 6

The coast is predominantly made of (soft) boulder clay. This is prone to slumping which makes the land less stable and therefore more vulnerable to erosion

Question 7

What are the main factors contributing to the high erosion rate in Holderness

Answer 7

• Long wave fetch across the North Sea
• Geology (Soft boulder clay)
• Narrow beaches (provides little protection)
• Terminal Groyne Syndrome

Question 8

What is the prevailing wind direction of Holderness

Answer 8

Northerly (pushes sediment south toward the Humber estuary)

Question 9

Where and why does deposition occur in Holderness

Answer 9

Deposition happens in around the Humber Estuary; when river flow and waves meet, the energy needed to carry the sediment is lost

Question 10

What issues will be caused by erosion in Holderness (4)

Answer 10

• Loss of settlements (such as Skipsea)
• Loss of productive farmland
• Loss of infrastructure (such as Easington Gas Terminal)
  *Loss of SSSIs and SPAs (such as Hornsea Mere)

Question 11

How much of the Holderness coastline is protected by traditional hard engineering strategies

Answer 11

11.4 km out of 61 km

Question 12

Which hard engineering defences are in place in Hornsea?

Answer 12

• Rock Armour (Rip Rap)
• Concrete sea wall
• Timber groynes

Question 13

Which hard engineering defences are in place in Bridlington?

Answer 13

• 4.7 km long sea wall
• Timber groynes

Question 14

Which hard engineering defences are in place in Mapleton and what are they defending?

Answer 14

• 2 rock groynes
• 500 metres of revetments

They protect the village as well as a B road

Question 15

Which hard engineering defences is in place in Easington and what is it defending?

Answer 15

Revetments are in place to defend the Gas Terminal which is now only 25 metres from the cliff edge

Question 16

Which hard engineering defences are in place on Spurn Head?

Answer 16

• Groynes
• Rock armour

These are along the Eastern side of the headland

Question 17

Which hard engineering defences are in place in Withernsea?

Answer 17

• Groynes
• Sea wall
• Rock armour (in front of the wall after it was damaged by a storm)

Question 18

Why are the traditional hard engineering strategies in Holderness not sustainable? (3)

Answer 18

• Terminal Groyne Syndrome is starving areas like Cowden Farm of sediment
• Reduced erosion in Holderness has resulted in less sediment input to the Lincolnshire coast - starving it of sediment of increasing erosion there
• Bays have begun to form in between hard engineering structures which heightens erosion on the headlands due to wave refraction - the cost of protecting these headlands may become too high

Question 19

What are the current SMP strategies in place

Answer 19

‘hold the line’ is in place for some of the more populated settlements such as Easington and Hornsea.

‘do nothing’ is in place for less populated areas as well as for Spurn Head which allows the spit there to act as it usually would.

Question 20

What challenges face the current SMP scheme (4)

Answer 20

• The ‘do nothing’ approach is unpopular with stakeholders of the affected land
• The defences as Easington only span 1 km in front of the gas terminal which leaves the rest of the village unprotected - erosion at SSSIs downdrift may also be increased by the defences
• There’s contention around compensation for relocation
• doing nothing at Spurn head may allow overwashing to damage to salt marsh