Case Study 12
A case study of a coastal environment (small - regional scale): the processes affecting this coast, its
landforms and its management.
Name: Holderness Coastline from Flamborough Head (a headland) to Spurn Point (a spit)
Location: East Yorkshire Coast in NE England – include a section of the coast that is the fastest eroding coastline in
Europe (made from soft boulder clay)
Groups of People Affected by Erosion:
-
Processes Affecting the Coastline:
Process
Erosion is very rapid below Flamborough head (formed
from hard rock - chalk) as the rock is made from very soft
glacial till. It is the fastest eroding coastline in Europe.
Hydraulic action and abrasion are the types of erosion that
attack this part of the coastline.
Longshore drift transport material south down the coast
Deposition occurs at Spurn Head where a spit has formed.
Local residents / farmers
Business owners
Local council / government
Issue
Land is being lost which is putting homes, businesses,
transport links and utilities at risk. This causes stress and
financial loss – homes can’t be insured, businesses close
so unemployment, roads moved which is expensive.
Material is transported as far away as the swash in East
Anglia and the Netherlands
The spit depends on a constant supply of sediment from
further up the coast to ensure that it is not eroded away.
Landforms on the Holderness Coast:
Flamborough Head:
The chalk has eroded over time to form distinctive features:
Chalk cliffs – attacked by hydraulic action and abrasion. Will collapse over time as the foot is eroded back to form
a wave cut notch and eventually a wave cut platform.
Headland – over time the cliffs and headlands have eroded to form distinctive cracks, caves, arches, stacks and
stumps. Weaknesses in the rock are attacked and the features develop.
Spurn Point:
Deposition across the mouth of the Humber has formed a spit over many thousands of years.
Spit: Spurn point houses a lighthouse and has been shaped by the deposition of material and the currents from the Humber
estuary.
Management on the Holderness Coast:
Location
Protection
Reason for protection being built
Bridlington Rock Armour (to
Large tourist resort that is economically
break up the energy valuable and worth protecting. Money brought
of waves before
in from this is more than the cost of building the
they hit the coast)
defences.
Sea wall (to act as
a barrier in front of
the cliff)
Hornsea
Rock armour (to
Tourist destination that is worth protecting with
break up the energy hard sea defences
of waves before
they hit the coast)
Mappleton Rock groynes (to
Protect the village and the main coast road that
trap sediment being runs through the village.
moved by
Would cost more to move the road than to build
longshore drift)
the defence.
Rock Armour (to
Effective as a large beach has built up to
break up the energy absorb the energy from the waves and reduce
of waves before
erosion at Mappleton.
they hit the coast)
Withernsea
Easington
Sea wall (to act as
a barrier in front of
the cliff)
Sea wall (to act as
a barrier in front of
the cliff)
Tourist destination that is worth protecting with
hard sea defences
Gas terminal which has large economic value
to the country. Money brought in makes
protection worthwhile.
Issues with the defences
Could be considered unattractive
and unnatural, putting some
people off visiting.
Need constant maintenance so
costly over the long term as well.
Unattractive and can make
beach access difficult.
Sediment that is trapped should
be used to offer protection down
the coast.
Other properties after the
defences have suffered more
erosion and are at risk of falling
into the sea.
Cost is high and causes bad
feeling in local communities.
Maintenance will get expensive.
Maintenance will get expensive.
Why the Holderness Coast Needs Protecting:
Roads – worth saving as they cost a lot to relocate. The main access route up the coast runs through Mappleton and so the
village has been protected to avoid the need to move it.
Tourism – Bridlington generates millions of pounds from tourism so the town is protected to safeguard this income.
Gas Terminal – at Easington the gas terminal distributes north sea gas through the country and so is financially valuable
and worth protecting
Conflict Over Management of the Coast:
Erosion increases south of all defences meaning many people are in a worse position if they do not live in areas that get
protection.
The cost for sea defences is huge meaning people who do not benefit get annoyed at the money being spent on this
rather than for other services that benefit all.
Sea defences can affect the local environment and look unnatural so can be unpopular with some people.
In areas where there are no defences, people do not get compensation and lose their homes and businesses. This
causes conflict as they feel unfairly treated.