The Holderness Coastline is also extremely exposed with little protection. The original coastline before the ice age consisted mainly of chalk, and is still present today at Flamborough Head where a headland has formed as chalk is much more resistant to coastal erosion than the boulder clay. This outcrop of land provides some shelter, although it is minimal, as the stretch of coastline down to Spurn Head is over 50km long, most experiencing almost head on dominant waves. The coastline is also exposed to strong North/North-East winds, which co-enside with a rather generous fetch. Destructive waves are a result, which erode the beaches and attack the foot of the cliffs, removing masses of clay in suspension, resulting in strong marine erosion.
The material eroded and transported elsewhere results in little material left to form beaches, which act as a barrier to protect the cliff line from tides, currents and storms, therefore the sea’s processed are able to keep cutting back the cliff line.
The weather also has a large influence. Often there are winter storm surges producing higher waves, and higher sea levels, meaning higher energy erosion. In addition is increased sub-aerial denudation brought about by the heavy rain and strong winds. This often leads to increased slumping and other forms of mass movement. A good example of the result of extreme conditions is the North Sea Storm Surge, resulting in about 7 metres of the coastline lost overnight in 1953.
Human intervention is also responsible for some of the fastest eroding areas of coast as well as the uneven distribution of sea deposits. This is a result of efforts to preserve the coastline, and even to create beaches. The most common method used is the construction of groynes which are large and expensive ‘wall’s built at right angles to the coastline which interrupt long-shore drift causing the deposition of material being carried southwards. An inevitable problem of this method is that this increases coastal erosion further down the coast and it has a dramatic effect of the lack of material present to protect the cliffs. This method to encourage beach deposition has been employed in holiday resorts such as Hornsea, Mappleton and Withernsea, which help to bring in the tourists and increase the local economy, but they may be part responsible for rapid erosion rates at sites like Great Cowden, were there is sediment starvation.
Finally global warming is creating higher sea levels and more unpredictable, but generally more stormy weather, and it is places such as the Holderness coastline which are most affected, and areas like Spurn Head are at great risk in such conditions. It is Spurn Head which is of particular concern, as it is a recurved spit with a narrow neckline attaching it to the coast at the proximal end which could easily be detached from the mainland by winter storm or floods.
Among all this high-energy erosion and loss of land is a large feature of deposition found at the southern end of the Holderness Coast, is a 6km long spit called Spurn Head. This has occurred due to the process of long-shore drift where it is estimated half a million tonnes of material is carried by the waves along the coast line eventually depositing it when in a lower energy environment, in this case, the Humber Estuary. The fact that the boulder clay cliffs to the south are more easily eroded their retreat has formed the sweeping bay of Holderness, and it is this differential rate of erosion that has given the coastline its distinctive shape.
One of the greatest concerns which has arisen as a consequence of coastal erosion in this area is what will come of the Gas Terminal station in Easington which was once hundreds of metres away, but is now only a few feet. The loss of the Gas Terminal would result in the loss of hundreds of jobs and the loss of a very expensive structure. This would cause a great change upon human activity in the area, and there seems little that can be done to economically protect it.
Land and house prices along the coastline have fallen dramatically, and some people have opted to pay thousands to have their houses moved back from the coastline to savour at most a few more years’ occupancy. The overall population of the area is falling, as there are few attractive prospects to either keep existing people there or attract new people.
Many businesses are losing out, as tourism in the region decreases, so does income, and therefore profit. This is affecting shops, holiday parks, and hotels.
