The Holderness Coastline

The Holderness Coastline

Introduction

The Holderness Coastline is eroding much faster than any other

coastline in Britain as it is made from boulder clay. 100,000 year ago

an ice sheet covered parts of Europe pushing with it sand, shingle and

rocks (this made up the boulder clay). The boulder clay was left by

the city York when the ice sheet retreated. This made the Holderness

coastline.

Many people immigrated to the Holderness Coastline as the boulder clay

was good for farming as it was much softer than other lands.

Throughout the years the coastline has been eroding away effecting

many towns and villages. Barnston village is being worn away as there

is nothing of great importance there. Mappleton town on the other hand

has rock groynes costing £10000 each to protect the town. Cowden farm

is being worn away as a result of the groynes at Mappleton village;

there is no sand or shingle from long-shore-drift travelling to

protect the cliff. It is now eroding away 30f per year. In Withernsea

is being defended by a £6000 per meter sea wall made of concrete to

protect the town. Eastington gas terminal is at Holderness coastline

as it is the closest to oil, as the coastline is eroding quicker than

they expected they are putting boulders, costing £3500 per meter, in

front of the cliff to reduce the force of the waves.

Some places at the Holderness coast are better protected than others,

as protecting the whole of the coastline would be very expensive and

pointless, as some places are more important than others. Some of the

sea defence schemes used on the Holderness coast are: Rip-rap

(boulders) coasting £3500 per meter are large interlocking man-made

boulders that protect the coast by braking up the waves. Large

boulders are strategically placed at the back of the beach to act as a

barrier to brake up the wave and dissipate its energy. It can be

effective, but a source of visual pollution- this could be good for

the gas terminal as no tourists or travellers would go there.