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Field Excursion: Spurn Point and Dimlington Cliffs

Spurn Point and Dimlington Cliffs, Holderness Coast: Dune System Geomorphology and Quaternary Till Deposits


Mark Bateman and Dan Normandale

10:30 - 15:30, 26th July 2025



Spurn

Part 1: Spurn Point

Starting 10.30 am at the Spurn Discovery Centre (postcode HU12 0UH) will be a walk onto the iconic landform of Spurn Point, a sand and shingle spit projecting southwards into the Humber estuary. Much of Geology is underpinned by our understanding of modern sedimentary processes. Spurn provides a fantastic out-door laboratory to learn about the past, present and possible geomorphological future of this National Nature Reserve. We will explore how humans have tried and often failed to tame the spit and protect it from North Sea storms and about England’s ‘Atlantis’, the medieval town of Ravenser Odd. The December 2013 tidal surge almost irreparably turned Spurn into an island. We will explore the resultant ‘overwash’ area before returning to the Discovery Centre for lunch at around 12.30, where picnic benches, toilets and a café are available.

Dimlington Cliffs

Part 2: Dimlington Cliffs

For Part 2, we will head north, parking up (HU12 OSU) just beyond Easington Gas Terminal to continue by foot onto the beach to visit Dimlington Cliffs SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest). This imposing but rapidly eroding cliff line has yielded crucial stratigraphical evidence for dating the last glacial episode in Britain, consequently named the ‘Dimlington Stadial’ (26-13 ka). We will look to identify the Basement, Skipsea and Withernsea Tills and Dimlington Silts, dependent on what the latest storms have exposed, and discuss their deposition and wider geomorphological links of the Holderness coast to Spurn, the Humber and the Lincolnshire Coast, finishing around 3.30 pm.

Access and Requirements

Walking distances will be about 3 miles total for our Spurn visit and about 2 miles for the Dimlington site. Both with be a mixture of track and uneven, sandy ground. Dimlington is accessed by way of a steep grassy incline. You will need appropriate footwear, the usual wet weather gear and packed lunches. Parking at the Spurn Discovery Centre is £5 a car (toilet available), payable at the café. Yorkshire Wildlife Trust members can park for free. Parking for Part 2 at Easington is free (no facilities).

Lidar image of Spurn Point


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