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Coastal Systems and Landscapes

The Holderness coast case study

  • 3 things to know
  • Component 1

Overview

The Holderness coast as a UK case study of rapid cliff erosion in soft glacial till, the sediment it feeds south to Spurn Point, and the costs and consequences of defending Mappleton, Easington and the rest of the coastline.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Process

How fast is the Holderness coast eroding?

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How many settlements have been lost to erosion on the Holderness coast?

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What coastal defences were built at Mappleton in 1991?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    Where is the Holderness coast?

    Model answer

    A stretch of about 61 km of the East Yorkshire coast running south from Flamborough Head to Spurn Point at the mouth of the Humber estuary.

  2. 2

    How fast is the Holderness coast eroding?

    Model answer

    It retreats by around 2 metres a year on average, making it one of the fastest-eroding coastlines in Europe.

  3. 3

    Why does the Holderness coast erode so rapidly?

    Model answer

    Its cliffs are soft glacial till (boulder clay) that slumps when wet, its beaches are narrow and absorb little wave energy, and it faces a long fetch across the North Sea.

  4. 4

    How many settlements have been lost to erosion on the Holderness coast?

    Model answer

    Around 23 to 30 towns and villages have been lost since Roman times, with sources differing on the exact number.

  5. 5

    Why does the Holderness coast contrast with Flamborough Head?

    Model answer

    Flamborough Head is resistant chalk that forms headlands, caves, arches and stacks, while the till cliffs to the south erode quickly into a smooth, retreating coastline.

  6. 6

    Where does sediment eroded from the Holderness cliffs go?

    Model answer

    Longshore drift carries it south, where some builds Spurn Point spit and the rest is carried into the Humber estuary or offshore.

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