Flamborough Head, East Yorkshire
A classic coastal area
A week or so ago I retweeted some excellent photos of this classic area of the UK coastline. Here is a piece I wrote five years ago about the area.
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Flamborough Head is a chalk headland exhibiting features of coastal erosion.
Geology
The Lower Chalk zones form the highest cliffs of the headland north of Thornwick and are inaccessible. The Middle Chalk forms Thornwick Bay and the North Landing area, whilst the Upper Chalk can be seen at Selwicks Bay. Chalk in northern England is harder than that in southern England due to higher calcite content. The Lower and Middle Chalk also contain varying amounts of flint, a secondary deposit which is very hard. The layers of chalk dip in a southerly direction at 4o; they are well jointed and criss-crossed by minor faulting –all the necessary ingredients for erosion.
The recent geological history of the area is important. Pre-glacially the cliffs were only made from chalk and were about half their present height. The sea eroded caves, arches and stacks and a wave-cut platform. During the Ice Age the whole of this area was covered in ice; post-glacially, as the ice retreated, a deposit of boulder clay was left over all the area, masking pre-existing features: the caves were plugged with boulder clay and the bays were in-filled. However, as the North Sea basin filled up with water after the end of the Ice Age and waves reappeared, they removed some of the boulder clay, to reveal many of the original erosional features.
Selwicks Bay
In Selwicks Bay, several zones of weakness have been eroded by the sea to create caves. In places, two caves have eroded back-to-back to form a through-cave, or a cave has eroded through a small headland into a pre-existing bay, to create arches. Some arches are so small it is only possible to crawl through them whereas others are large enough to take a small boat through. Some arches have collapsed; the upstanding tower of rock being a stack which in some cases has also collapsed, to leave a stump, standing only slightly proud of the wave-cut platform.
Part of Selwicks Bay is composed of a ‘line of disturbance’ where the chalk has been subjected to and contorted by severe earth movements, the heat reconstituting some of the minerals into calcite which has hardened this section of cliff, to form a small headland within the bay. There is also a blow hole, not unique, but it reflects the glaciological history of the headland. Pre-glacially it was created as a blow hole that was then in-filled and covered by boulder clay, only to be post-glacially re-excavated and enlarged so that today, even though the water rushes in, it does not ‘blow’. The weaker clay surrounding it is actively slumping into the blow hole and forms a large amphitheatre around it.
North Landing
At North Landing the layers of chalk are much thinner and there is a lot of flint. Here the jointing is very dense so the whole rock is highly fragmented. There is a lot of faulting and the bay, being open to the north, is subjected to attack by the storm waves originating from the Arctic. Caves abound and there are several examples of geos. There are no examples of arches, though there are several stumps being eroded. The wave cut platform is extensive.
Sketch plan of Selwicks Bay
Sketch of North Landing, Flamborough Head
Selwicks Bay
The Flamborough Head Management Plan
Mission statement: ‘Working to ensure the Natural Environment at Flamborough Head is protected for future generations to come, whilst making sure that the people who live in and visit Flamborough can still enjoy this special place.’
Flamborough Head is a popular site for visitors and tourists. There are three main features of interest to people - the coastal scenery, the plant life and the marine life, including seabirds (Flamborough has the only mainland gannetry in England). The cliffs and rocky shores of Flamborough represent the most northerly outcrop of coastal chalk in the UK. The waters around the Headland support a wide diversity of marine life - the waters are particularly rich in marine life because of its proximity to the ‘Flamborough Front’ - an upwelling of nutrients, leading to a plentiful food supply. The land is also a working agricultural area. To both protect the site, and to allow people to both access and work on it, an integrated approach to management has been put forward, which hopes to promote conservation in a fair and inclusive way. The area has also been declared a SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest).
The scheme manages the area through implementing the following:
• an Action Plan
• policies for each activity in the plan
• projects to deliver specific activities.
Some key actions for the Action Plan
• Establish a fisheries liaison group to discuss fisheries issues at Flamborough Head
• Establish a land management liaison group to assess feasibility of an integrated approach to the use of agri-environment schemes at Flamborough Head
• Provide information on the importance of the site e.g. website, leaflets
• Working with partners to protect and enhance the Biodiversity Action Plan habitats at Flamborough Head
• The permanent employment of a Project Officer, on the Headland.
Key Policies
• To manage the area effectively, ensuring that all activities are compatible with the wildlife, access and landscape features
• Support diversification schemes that assist with promoting tourism and maintaining employment, without affecting the natural environment
• Ensure close liaison between fishermen, fisheries managers and nature conservation bodies
• To maintain a viable agricultural economy that delivers maximum environmental benefit, whilst contributing to the farming economy
• Encourage the development of access opportunities for as wide a range of the public as possible
• Seek to identify opportunities for raising public awareness to encourage a better understanding of the Headland, Heritage Coast and the marine and terrestrial ecology and issues relevant to their sustainable management.
Projects
These include:
· An audit of the current condition of access and information facilities at Flamborough
· producing high quality leaflets for Flamborough Head and develop information materials to improve visitor experience and raise awareness of environmental, landscape and cultural assets at Flamborough
· Voluntary codes of conduct to raise public awareness whilst encouraging a better understanding of the area and why it is important
· Marine Stewardship Council accreditation: the aim of this project is to promote sustainable fisheries and raise the profile of the Yorkshire coast fisheries.