Spurn Point
The photo shows Spurn Point from the south. The buildings in the
foreground are a lifeboat station and Humber Pilots base. These are
soon to be abandoned due to the likelyhood of the neck of the spit
being breached. To the right deposition inside the curve of the spit
(Old Den) can be seen. Just to the northwest of the lighthouse seen in
the centre of the picture, but not visible in this photo are the old
lighthouse keepers buildings, now derilict and partly overwhelmed by
sand. These buildings were partly destroyed by winter storms a few
years ago. The frequently relaid road to the tip is testament to the
rapid movement of the spit neck. Spurn Point is a narrow sandy
promentory aproximately five kilometers long. It is located on the
south-eastern tip of the Holderness plain which forms the northern
banks of the Humber estuary. It is easily reached from Hull by car,
parking is availible for which a small fee is payable.
The strategic position of the sand spit, guarding the entrance to a
major waterway lead to its use as a position for shipping beacons and
lighthouses. Historical accounts of settlements and lighthouses,
particularly accounts of their destruction and the break up of the
spit have enabled us to discover that over the last 1000 years there
have been five 'Spurn points'. Each spit has grown until it has become
unstable, been destroyed and then rebuilt slightly to the west of the
former one, the cycles lasting approximately 250 years. The current
spit is nearing the end of the cycle, and despite considerable coastal
defences the neck is in continual danger of being breached. To the
east lies the North Sea. The direction of maximum fetch is from the
north-east and longshore drift is southward. To the north west is the