WHAT COASTAL HAZARDS EXIST BETWEEN BARMSTONE AND
WITHERNSEA ON THE HOLDERNESS COAST AND
HOW SHOULD THEY BE MANAGED?
In recent years, coastal management issues have become very important due to highly publicised human and environmental
conflicts and the introduction of Shoreline Management Plans to prevent conflicts between neighbouring authorities. Coastal
management tries to prevent hazards occurring along a stretch coastline which may lead to conflicts between humans and the
natural coastal processes.
The main aim of your investigation is to assess the hazards faced by different sites along the Holderness coast between Barmstone
and Withernsea, evaluate existing coastal defences and suggest future management strategies. To guide your investigation the
following enquiry questions should help:
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Where is the Holderness coast situated and what are the issues this coastline?
What are the physical characteristics of this coastline?
What are the main characteristics of the landuse?
Are some areas of the coastline more at risk than others? Can these be identified?
Do any of the sites have management strategies already implemented and how should they be managed in the
future?
Within sub-cell 2a, therefore, you are required to:
 Collect data;
 Provide analysis;
 Assess the level of hazard and risk to this coastline posed by potential flooding and coastal erosion;
 Make recommendations as to the appropriate Strategic Coastal Defence Options (SCDOs) along this coastline.
The location of the sub-cell is shown in the map below and you will visit some/all of the following sites:
Withernsea:
350 270
Mappleton:
228 440
349 271
234 429
343 280
Skipsea:
178 564
In the field you will be working in a group
which will allow you to share your ideas
whilst planning the investigation, collecting
the data and evaluating your findings.
Following the fieldwork, you will complete
the analysis of the data in class, using the
guidance overleaf.
However, since the final 1500 word Report
is to be submitted as part of your external
examination, it is vital that it is a personal
commentary on the work and focuses on the
following key points
 how and why decisions were made
about the design conduct and
presentation of the investigation;
 the outcomes of the investigation;
 an evaluation of the investigation.
Not more than two A4 size figures may be
included in your Report to demonstrate your
presentational skills and to illustrate key
aspects of the investigation.
Guidelines for Analysing, Interpreting and Evaluating your Investigation
Your investigation write-up should follow the guidelines below and should include primary and secondary
data where appropriate. Make sure that you read and make use of all the information in the Resource Booklet
and reference it where appropriate. Relevant maps, sketches, photographs, graphs, profiles and statistical
data should be provided to support your analysis and referenced using figure numbers.
1. Introduction
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Outline the aims and objectives of SMPs in general and this one in particular;
Provide the locational context of your SMP, including maps where appropriate;
Provide the theoretical context, ie, background to coastal management and SMPs in the UK;
Make the aims and objectives of the investigation clear (see enquiry questions on previous page).
2. Methods of Investigation
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Identification of the relevant physical and human variables and explanation of why they were chosen;
Explain how each piece of data was collected, including sampling and how any problems were
overcome, eg, fieldsketch; coastal cliffs (orientation, profile, geology, height, stability, etc.); marine
activity (wave type, frequency, high and low tide); human influences (landuse, engineering,
management). This could be done in a table, eg:
Data collected
Why?
How & where?
Problems?
3. Results
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Include two A4 pages of supporting evidence, referenced to the text. This might include, for
example, a risk map, a fieldsketch of a site, a cliff profile, located graphs to show vegetation cover
and infiltration rates, statistical analysis (Spearman’s, etc.) relating, for example, average cliff angle
and cliff height, a completed summary matrix of risk etc.
4. Analysis and Interpretation
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Classify the level of risk at each site in terms of High, Medium or Low Risk, including a justification
for your choice
Describe and explain the characteristics of each site or each group of sites identified as High, Medium
and Low risk, comparing each site/group of sites. Don’t ignore the anomalies – try to explain them.
What makes one site more risky than another site? Which variables are most significant in the risk
assessment process?
Suggest appropriate SCDOs for each site (see table below) and compare your suggestion to those
suggested in the actual SMP.
5. Conclusion & Evaluation
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Tie it all up. Summarise your findings and link them back to your original enquiry questions, making
sure that you have answered them all.
Evaluate your methodology and analysis – how and why were they flawed? What would you change
now? Make sure that you do not go into too much detail here, since you may well be asked about this
in the examination and you will not gain more marks for repeating points already made in your
Report;
Offer a realistic way that your investigation could be further developed - what further questions of
interest could be suggested?
Outline possibilities for further study and monitoring and how your study will be of use to other
agencies/groups, eg, planners.