Erosion of the Holderness coastline

The initial coastline recordings were in 1846 which further retreated inland by an average of 29 metres by 1888and again by 1922 by 35metres, followed by a decline in erosion to 1948 as the retreat was only an average of 10 metres. The decline in erosion carried on over the next 45 years as the coastline eroded at an average rate of 1 to 2 metres every year. Erosion varies a great deal over history which may be down to waves and tidal energy with its ability to erode the coastline. However from this point on an increase in erosion and the retreat of land is declared as in 1991 groynes were constructed at Mappleton have a knock on affect at Bridlington and the surrounding coastline. Groynes are “shore-normal walls of mainly wood or concrete, built across beaches to trap drifting sediment” by longshore drift (Holden, 2005). Management of the beach by groynes stabilised the area of coastline between the 2 groynes, however this created an increase in erosion along the surrounding coastline. With the increase of erosion the retreat of the Holderness coastline increased, moving further inland. On average the coastline retreated 30 metres inland between 1948 to present, another 50 metres to the present day with another 20-30 metres retreat predicted by 2050. The Holderness coastline is proven to retreat with a rate on average of 1 to 2 metres every year and is still predicted to retreat further.

The Holderness coastline in 2050 is predicted to retreat another 20 to 30 metres inland from the present day, which will put over 20000 in the Bridlington area at risk or at a vulnerable state. As the distribution of people is not displayed it is not certain that the vast amount of people will be at risk of losing their homes as a proportion may be located further inland but in time they will become vulnerable to erosion and the loss of land. In the future the state of land has to be thought about, as many homes, villages and land will be lost to the sea. Locals are often informed on the retreat of the coastline with a prediction of how far the land will retreat causing a vast amount to relocate and move out of an area causing a decline in population with many economic factors as businesses will be lost and with the reduction of people less will be spent in the local economy.

The retreating coastline of the Holderness coast has been proven to erode over time at a substantial rate with the use of remote sensing and GIS. As said before in 1991 there was an attempt to manage the coastline as groynes were constructed at Mapleton which is type of hard engineering however this caused an increase in erosion elsewhere. Mappleton is no longer at risk of vast coastal erosion as the rock groynes collect sediment transported by longshore drift. As sediment is no longer being transported south along the Holderness coast, sediment is not being deposited along the beaches making the area more vulnerable to erosion as there is no sediment which can be transported so the coastline / cliffs are exposed, erosion is therefore accelerated. Management for the future will have to be taken over all of the coastline so that the remaining of the Holderness coast is effected by an increase in erosion, but with the size and amount needed it would be too expensive to protect the land. Over time due to the extraordinary work that would have to be put in place of hard or soft engineering to protect the coastline, the local council has decide to let the coastline retreat naturally due to the low value of the land. To reduce the rate of erosion the council is talking about taking the groynes down in 2008.