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Hornsea is a
seaside town A seaside resort is a town, village, or hotel that serves as a vacation resort and is located on a coast. Sometimes the concept includes an aspect of official accreditation based on the satisfaction of certain requirements, such as in the German ' ...
and
civil parish In England, a civil parish is a type of administrative parish used for local government. It is a territorial designation which is the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties, or their combined form, the unitary authorit ...
in the
East Riding of Yorkshire The East Riding of Yorkshire, or simply East Riding or East Yorkshire, is a ceremonial county and unitary authority area in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and west, South Yorkshire to t ...
, England. The settlement dates to at least the early medieval period. The town was expanded in the
Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...
with the coming of the
Hull and Hornsea Railway The Hull and Hornsea Railway was a branch line which connected the city of Kingston upon Hull with the seaside town of Hornsea in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. History Early proposals and construction A proposal for a railway line t ...
in 1864. In the
First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
the Mere was briefly the site of
RNAS Hornsea Mere RNAS Hornsea Mere, (also known as RAF Hornsea Mere), was a Royal Naval Air Service seaplane base located on Hornsea Mere, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The mere was used for seaplanes because it was close to the sea and because its ...
, a seaplane base. During the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
the town and beach was heavily fortified against invasion. The civil parish encompasses Hornsea town; the natural lake,
Hornsea Mere Hornsea Mere is the largest freshwater lake in Yorkshire, England, and lies to the west of Hornsea in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The mere was used as a base for the Royal Naval Air Service and then latterly, the Royal Air Force during the Fi ...
; as well as the lost or deserted villages of ''Hornsea Beck'', ''Northorpe'' and ''Southorpe''. Structures of note in the parish include the medieval parish church of St Nicholas,
Bettison's Folly Bettison's Folly is a tower in Hornsea, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. Also referred to as Bettisons Tower and the Forgotten Folly, it was built some time between 1829 and 1853 by William Bettison. At the time, Bettison was a Hull-based br ...
,
Hornsea Mere Hornsea Mere is the largest freshwater lake in Yorkshire, England, and lies to the west of Hornsea in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The mere was used as a base for the Royal Naval Air Service and then latterly, the Royal Air Force during the Fi ...
and the sea front promenade. The economy includes a mix of tourism and small manufacturing. Most notably,
Hornsea Pottery Hornsea Pottery was a business located in the coastal town of Hornsea in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. They specialized in tableware with elegant contemporary designs. The pottery was founded in 1949, in a small terraced house, by br ...
was established in Hornsea in 1949 and closed in 2000. Modern Hornsea still functions as a coastal resort, and has large caravan sites to the north and south. The soft soil and low-lying geography result in consistent coastal erosion that threatens some of the infrastructure of the community. This is expected to get worse as climate change causes
sea level rise Globally, sea levels are rising due to human-caused climate change. Between 1901 and 2018, the globally averaged sea level rose by , or 1–2 mm per year on average.IPCC, 2019Summary for Policymakers InIPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cry ...
. In some areas, residents have already been forced to take a
managed retreat Managed retreat involves the purposeful, coordinated movement of people and buildings away from risks. This may involve the movement of a person, infrastructure (e.g., building or road), or community. It can occur in response to a variety of hazar ...
.


Geography

The civil parish of Hornsea is located on the
Holderness Holderness is an area of the East Riding of Yorkshire, on the north-east coast of England. An area of rich agricultural land, Holderness was marshland until it was drained in the Middle Ages. Topographically, Holderness has more in common wit ...
coast approximately north-east of Hull. The parish is bounded by the civil parishes of
Atwick __NOTOC__ Atwick is a village and civil parish in Holderness in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The village is near the North Sea coast, and north of Hornsea on the B1242 road. The civil parish is formed by the village of Atwick and th ...
to the north, Seaton to the west, Hatfield and Mappleton to the south, and by the
North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea, epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the ...
to the east. The civil parish contains the coastal town of Hornsea, and a suburb of "Hornsea Bridge" or "Hornsea Burton" south of the former railway line,The modern (2006) 1:25000 Ordnance Survey maps shows a place named 'Hornsea Burton' here that should not be confused with the lost village of Hornsea Burton. The modern settlement is here referred to as the "Hornsea Bridge suburb" to avoid confusion. as well as
Hornsea Mere Hornsea Mere is the largest freshwater lake in Yorkshire, England, and lies to the west of Hornsea in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The mere was used as a base for the Royal Naval Air Service and then latterly, the Royal Air Force during the Fi ...
. Excluding the town and its suburbs there are no other habitations of note in the parish, except some farms. The remainder of the parish is low lying farm land divided into fields.Ordnance Survey. 1:25000 2007 Most of the civil parish lies at between above sea level, with the highest points in the parish under . The
B1242 road B roads are numbered routes in Great Britain of lesser importance than A roads. See the article Great Britain road numbering scheme The Great Britain road numbering scheme is a numbering scheme used to classify and identify all roads in Gr ...
runs north to south parallel with the coast through the parish and the A1035 runs westward connecting with the A165 near
Leven Leven may refer to: People * Leven (name), list of people with the name Nobility * Earl of Leven a title in the Peerage of Scotland Placenames * Leven, Fife Leven ( gd, Inbhir Lìobhann) is a seaside town in Fife, set in the east Central ...
. Additionally a foot and cycle path, the
Hornsea Rail Trail Hornsea Rail Trail is a public footpath, cycleway and bridleway which follows the route of the old Hull and Hornsea Railway in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It forms the eastern part of the Trans Pennine Trail The Trans Pennine Tra ...
, part of the
Trans Pennine Trail The Trans Pennine Trail is a long-distance path running from coast to coast across Northern England entirely on surfaced paths and using only gentle gradients (it runs largely along disused railway lines and canal towpaths). It forms part of ...
runs south-west from the town centre towards Hull.
Hornsea Mere Hornsea Mere is the largest freshwater lake in Yorkshire, England, and lies to the west of Hornsea in the East Riding of Yorkshire. The mere was used as a base for the Royal Naval Air Service and then latterly, the Royal Air Force during the Fi ...
is a lake of around with an outflow towards the sea by the Stream Dike Drain. This drain also separates Hornsea from the Hornsea Bridge suburb. According to the 2011 UK census, Hornsea parish had a population of 8,432. Hornsea is in the Parliamentary constituency of Beverley and Holderness.


Geology and erosion

The underlying geology is primarily
boulder clay Boulder clay is an unsorted agglomeration of clastic sediment that is unstratified and structureless and contains gravel of various sizes, shapes, and compositions distributed at random in a fine-grained matrix. The fine-grained matrix consists o ...
. High points in the area are formed of gravel. (See '' moraine''.) The topsoils are fine and loamy, whilst the rock beneath the boulder clay is classed as Flamborough Chalk from the
Upper Cretaceous The Late Cretaceous (100.5–66 Ma) is the younger of two epochs into which the Cretaceous Period is divided in the geologic time scale. Rock strata from this epoch form the Upper Cretaceous Series. The Cretaceous is named after ''creta'', th ...
period. Historically large stones in the boulder clay were removed for use in road construction – this activity had been prohibited at Hornsea by the board of trade by 1885. Sands and clays were also used locally in building (), though better quality materials were found elsewhere. Some early writers (
William Camden William Camden (2 May 1551 – 9 November 1623) was an English antiquarian, historian, topographer, and herald, best known as author of ''Britannia'', the first chorographical survey of the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, and the ''Ann ...
1551–1623) thought that ground conditions in the area were evidence of an earthquake, whilst supposed the Mere and fossil finds to be evidence of a great flood or deluge in the area. Since at least the late 19th century the geological conditions overlying the underlying
chalk Chalk is a soft, white, porous, sedimentary carbonate rock. It is a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite and originally formed deep under the sea by the compression of microscopic plankton that had settled to the sea floor. Ch ...
have been interpreted as being from a
glacial A glacial period (alternatively glacial or glaciation) is an interval of time (thousands of years) within an ice age that is marked by colder temperatures and glacier advances. Interglacials, on the other hand, are periods of warmer climate betwe ...
process in origin – both the boulder clay and the gravel beds and moraines. Borings suggest the chalk probably lies at around under the sand, gravel and clay beds at Hornsea, though possibly deeper. Water in Hornsea has been obtained from wells and bore holes, though some borings have yielded water contaminated with iron, whilst others failed to reach an
aquifer An aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing, permeable rock, rock fractures, or unconsolidated materials ( gravel, sand, or silt). Groundwater from aquifers can be extracted using a water well. Aquifers vary greatly in their characteris ...
even at a depth of . The Mere is the last of many lakes in the Holderness area – the remainder had been drained by the late 19th century. At the sea remains of a submarine forest were found in a bed of
peat Peat (), also known as turf (), is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, moors, or muskegs. The peatland ecosystem covers and is the most efficient ...
found around halfway between cliff and lower water. The trees found were oak, alder and willow. A variety of fossils have been found in the deposits, including those of the extinct Eurasian cave lion ('' Felis spelaea''), Woolly Mammoth ('' Elephas primigenius''), Aurochs (''
Bos primigenius The aurochs (''Bos primigenius'') ( or ) is an extinct cattle species, considered to be the wild ancestor of modern domestic cattle. With a shoulder height of up to in bulls and in cows, it was one of the largest herbivores in the Holocene; ...
'') as well as Red Deer (''
Cervus elaphus The red deer (''Cervus elaphus'') is one of the largest deer species. A male red deer is called a stag or hart, and a female is called a hind. The red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Anatolia, Iran, and parts of wes ...
'') and Horse species ('' Equus''). Molluscs found in the subterranean gravel appear to have been freshwater species. It is thought the source of the submarine forests recorded on the coast at Hornsea may have been a second mere on the eastern side of the present lake which was silted and was lost to the sea at some point. The coast at Hornsea is subject to erosion. The rate of erosion varies, but has been inferred at around per year in the latter part of the 16th century; estimated by George Poulson at per year in the late 18th century, though recorded at up to in some years in the same period. The rate of erosion may have been influenced by the presence or absence of erosion limiting groynes or a pier. South, at Hornsea Burton erosion rates rose from pa between the periods 1845–76 and 1876–82, thought to be due to the construction of groynes north of the beach at Hornsea. The current (2008) rate of erosion is north of and south of Hornsea – the difference due to the defences at Hornsea preventing the renewing flow of sediment southwards. An
apocrypha Apocrypha are works, usually written, of unknown authorship or of doubtful origin. The word ''apocryphal'' (ἀπόκρυφος) was first applied to writings which were kept secret because they were the vehicles of esoteric knowledge considered ...
l inscription said to have been found in Hornsea references the nearing of the sea by erosion – the figure of ten miles given as the distance the town once stood from the sea is certainly
artistic licence Artistic license (alongside more contextually-specific derivative terms such as poetic license, historical license, dramatic license, and narrative license) refers to deviation from fact or form for artistic purposes. It can include the alterat ...
.


Hornsea town

The old town of Hornsea is centred on the Market Place, and includes Southgate, Westgate and Mere Side; the resort and promenade is connected to the old town by Newbegin and New Road, and includes much of the Victorian development of the town. Buildings in the town are predominately red brick, with pantile or slate roofs; some structures use local cobbles as a building material. Modern Hornsea also incorporates several caravan sites, mainly on the northern and southern edge. There are two notable parks in Hornsea, Hall Garth Park which includes a historic moated site, and the Memorial Gardens. The area of 'old' Hornsea centred on the Market Place, and including Hall Garth Park and the large houses around Hornsea Town railway station and Grosvenor Road are now (2007) part of a Conservation Area – the area excludes the 19th/20th century resort, and promenade. Like other small North Sea coastal resorts Hornsea has a promenade, laid out gardens, hotels, fish and chip shops, gift shops and so on. On the southern edge of Hornsea, near the site of
Hornsea Pottery Hornsea Pottery was a business located in the coastal town of Hornsea in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. They specialized in tableware with elegant contemporary designs. The pottery was founded in 1949, in a small terraced house, by br ...
is a shopping centre known as Hornsea Freeport – the Freeport adapted some of the original theme park set up by Hornsea Pottery. There are three schools in Hornsea: Hornsea Community Primary School, Hornsea Burton Primary School and Hornsea School and Language College. Hornsea has an independent lifeboat service provided by Hornsea Inshore Rescue, a registered charity since 1994. Hornsea has a high frequency of all-day public transport bus service to and from Hull,
Beverley Beverley is a market and minster town and a civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, of which it is the county town. The town centre is located south-east of York's centre and north-west of City of Hull. The town is known fo ...
, Hessle and a daily service to
Bridlington Bridlington is a coastal town and a civil parish on the Holderness Coast of the North Sea in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is about north of Hull and east of York. The Gypsey Race enters the North Sea at its harbour. The 2011 ...
, and to
Withernsea Withernsea is a seaside resort and civil parish in Holderness, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. Its white inland lighthouse, rising around above Hull Road, now houses a museum to 1950s actress Kay Kendall, who was born in the town. The Pr ...
.


History


Prehistory to medieval

There is evidence of prehistoric human activity in the area. Near Norththorpe, north of Hornsea crop marks indicate a site interpreted as a Neolithic
henge There are three related types of Neolithic earthwork that are all sometimes loosely called henges. The essential characteristic of all three is that they feature a ring-shaped bank and ditch, with the ditch inside the bank. Because the internal ...
monument, thought to have been later reused as a
Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second prin ...
ringwork. The site is similar to one excavated at Paddock Hill, near Thwing. The site consists of cropmarks indicating circular ditch surrounding a diameter circular area, with a probably entrance point at the east-south-east. There are cropmark indications that an outer ditch existed and that a roundhouse or henge was located inside the monument. Prehistoric finds in Hornsea include a polished Neolithic stone axehead, Neolithic or Bronze Age flints, and Bronze Age flint arrowhead. There are also cropmarks in the Hornsea area indicating human activity during the
Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age ( Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age ( Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostl ...
/
Roman Britain Roman Britain was the period in classical antiquity when large parts of the island of Great Britain were under occupation by the Roman Empire. The occupation lasted from AD 43 to AD 410. During that time, the territory conquered wa ...
period, thought to the remnants of field systems. An Anglo-Saxon burial ground was discovered in 1913 near the Hydro on Cliff Road – the site was re-excavated in 1982. Thirteen skeletons were initially found, and a further six at the later excavations – a wide variety of
grave goods Grave goods, in archaeology and anthropology, are the items buried along with the body. They are usually personal possessions, supplies to smooth the deceased's journey into the afterlife or offerings to the gods. Grave goods may be classed as a ...
were found including vases, and objects of bronze, ivory, bone, silver, jet and beads. Hornsea is mentioned as a Manor, as ''Hornesse'', in the
Domesday Book Domesday Book () – the Middle English spelling of "Doomsday Book" – is a manuscript record of the "Great Survey" of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086 by order of King William I, known as William the Conqueror. The manus ...
. At the
Norman conquest The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Con ...
overlordship passed from
Morcar Morcar (or Morkere) ( ang, Mōrcǣr) (died after 1087) was the son of Ælfgār (earl of Mercia) and brother of Ēadwine. He was the earl of Northumbria from 1065 to 1066, when he was replaced by William the Conqueror with Copsi. Dispute with t ...
to Drogo de la BeuvriËre. Drogo fled to
Flanders Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to cultu ...
after killing his wife, a relative of
William I William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England, reigning from 1066 until his death in 10 ...
and Holderness subsequently passed to Odo, Count of Aumale. In around 1088 Odo gave the manor, church and lands at Hornsea to the Benedictine
St Mary's Abbey, York The Abbey of St Mary is a ruined Benedictine abbey in York, England and a scheduled monument. History Once one of the most prosperous abbeys in Northern England,Dean, G. 2008. ''Medieval York''. Stroud: History Press. p. 86 its remains li ...
. Rights of fishing in the Mere also passed to the Abbey. The church of Saint Nicholas dates to the 13th century, with alterations in the 14th and 15th centuries. The church is of cobbles plus stone dressings, much of it in the
perpendicular style Perpendicular Gothic (also Perpendicular, Rectilinear, or Third Pointed) architecture was the third and final style of English Gothic architecture developed in the Kingdom of England during the Late Middle Ages, typified by large windows, four-ce ...
. The font, some memorials and an effigy also date to the 13th century, a restored former medieval market cross is found in the churchyard. The church tower was formerly surmounted by a spire, reported as ruinous in the early 1710s and said to have fallen down in 1733. The church was extensively restored in the 1860s by George Gilbert Scott, including rebuilding of the upper tower; further work was done at the beginning of the 20th century by Brodrick, Lowther & Walker. The medieval rectory of the church was located to the north, at a moated site – some earthwork remains are still extant, and were incorporated into the public Hall Garth Park in the 19th century. Other remnants of the medieval town include a wayside cross on Southgate, probably formed of remnants of other medieval crosses. During the medieval period Hornsea was a market town, and also functioned as a fishing town and port. In 1377 the Poll Tax recorded 271 tax payers in Hornsea, and a further 264 at Hornsea Beck, and 96 at Hornsea Burton; in 1490 the parish of Hornsea recorded that there were 340 persons in Hornsea, and 240 at Hornsea Beck and 50 at Hornsea Burton. There is limited evidence on the extent to which Hornsea functioned as a port. However, there are several medieval references to it. In 1228 documents refer to tolls on merchandise from ships both north and south of the beck.
Holinshed Raphael Holinshed ( – before 24 April 1582) was an English chronicler, who was most famous for his work on ''The Chronicles of England, Scotlande, and Irelande'', commonly known as ''Holinshed's Chronicles''. It was the "first complete print ...
noted ''Horneseie Beck'' as amongst the places on the coast used for trade; and sometime before the reign of
Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was List of English monarchs, Queen of England and List of Irish monarchs, Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is ...
(16th century) the large sum of £3,000 had been spent on a pier at Hornsea – it was destroyed by the sea sometime around the latter half of the 16th century.
Coastal erosion Coastal erosion is the loss or displacement of land, or the long-term removal of sediment and rocks along the coastline due to the action of waves, currents, tides, wind-driven water, waterborne ice, or other impacts of storms. The landwa ...
had ended Hornsea's importance as a port by the 16th century, though its market continued to be important locally. After the Dissolution of the Monasteries (1540) right of ownership of Hornsea were returned to the Crown from St Mary's Abbey. Subsequently, the property was split into three parts – the manor, church and mere. There were windmills in Hornsea during the medieval period – two belonging to the Abbey of St Mary's are recorded in the 16th century. There was another in Hornsea Burton, recorded as early as 1584, and is documented again in 1663, with the site still recorded in the late 19th century – the mill was located at the end of the Mill Lane (now Burton Lane).


17th to 19th centuries

83 houses were recorded for tax purposes in 1676; and a record of 133 families in the parish was made in 1743. By 1801 the population was 533, rising steadily to 704 by 1811, then to 780 in 1831, and to 1,005 in 1841. There were several
Quakers Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abil ...
in Hornsea in the mid 17th century – an early meeting room was in a cottage in Westgate. In 1676 three cottages in Southgate were recorded as being given up for the use as a cemetery by the Acklams, a Quaker family. In 1732 the town was struck by a 'hurricane' which in addition to destroying the church's spire, unroofed around 40 buildings, as well as causing part of the vicarage to collapse, and overturned one windmill. Another windmill is recorded on Atwick Road in 1732, and in 1820–21 a new windmill was built – by 1909 it was steam operated. Historically, the common building material in the area has been brick or cobbles – extant buildings in brick date to as early as the late 17th century, alternatively large cobbles have also been used in the area for building construction – several structures of this type survive in the town, dating to the late 17th, 18th or 19th century, including some
listed buildings In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
, utilising cobbles or cobbles with brick. The Old Hall in Hornsea Market Place dates to the early 17th century, and is built of brick on cobble foundations. Whilst
enclosure Enclosure or Inclosure is a term, used in English landownership, that refers to the appropriation of "waste" or " common land" enclosing it and by doing so depriving commoners of their rights of access and privilege. Agreements to enclose land ...
at Hornsea Burton had begun around 1660, the fields around Hornsea were enclosed in 1809. By the mid 19th century Hornsea comprised three main streets at the eastern end of the Mere – Westgate, Southgate and Market Place; two streets, Newbegin and Eastgate led eastward towards the sea from Market Place, merging around from the cliff – the land east of Hornsea town towards the sea was in agricultural use. A Quaker meeting house, located to the rear of Westgate, now known as 'Quaker Cottage' was used in the 18th century for meetings. Non-conformist churches were built in the early 19th century – an Independent chapel was built on Southgate near to the Market Place , with a burial ground to the rear; and a Wesleyan chapel built on the corner of Back Southgate/Mere Side/Chamber's Lane , (replaced in 1870 by one in Newbegin and later used as a school); a Primitive Methodist chapel was built on Westgate in 1835, replaced and then demolished after a replacement was built in the Market Place in 1864, with a minister's house built on the site. A tower folly,
Bettison's Folly Bettison's Folly is a tower in Hornsea, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. Also referred to as Bettisons Tower and the Forgotten Folly, it was built some time between 1829 and 1853 by William Bettison. At the time, Bettison was a Hull-based br ...
was built , by local brewmaster William Bettison, a tower built by a local business man in the 19th century. The tower contains the only fully working retractable flag pole in the country. Hornsea was promoted as a
seaside resort A seaside resort is a town, village, or hotel that serves as a vacation resort and is located on a coast. Sometimes the concept includes an aspect of official accreditation based on the satisfaction of certain requirements, such as in the Germ ...
from around 1800, with early attractions including
bathing machine The bathing machine was a device, popular from the 18th century until the early 20th century, to allow people to change out of their usual clothes, change into swimwear, and wade in the ocean at beaches. Bathing machines were roofed and walled woo ...
s, horse races on the beach and a
chalybeate spring Chalybeate () waters, also known as ferruginous waters, are mineral spring waters containing salts of iron. Name The word ''chalybeate'' is derived from the Latin word for steel, , which follows from the Greek word . is the singular form of ...
near the mere. More facilities were built in the 1830s including the first Marine Hotel. A railway line was sanctioned in 1846 from
Arram Arram is a small (population 200) farming village in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately north of the market town of Beverley and east of Leconfield. It forms part of the civil parish of Leconfield. The ma ...
to Hornsea in 1846, but was unbuilt following the fall of
George Hudson George Hudson (probably 10 March 1800 – 14 December 1871) was an English railway financier and politician who, because he controlled a significant part of the railway network in the 1840s, became known as "The Railway King"—a title conferr ...
and the financial problems of the
York and North Midland Railway The York and North Midland Railway (Y&NMR) was an English railway company that opened in 1839 connecting York with the Leeds and Selby Railway, and in 1840 extended this line to meet the North Midland Railway at Normanton near Leeds. Its first c ...
. In 1861 a company was formed to promote railways in the East Riding of Yorkshire, and obtained an act for a line from
Wilmington, Kingston upon Hull Wilmington is an industrial area east of the River Hull in Kingston upon Hull, England. Geography Wilmington is bounded by the River Hull to the west, with Wincolmlee and Sculcoates beyond; Stoneferry is to the north; and to the south is th ...
to Hornsea in 1862. Joseph Armitage Wade, a Hull timber merchant and Hornsea resident was a key promoter of the line. Work began October 1862, with the line completed early 1864 the
Hull and Hornsea Railway The Hull and Hornsea Railway was a branch line which connected the city of Kingston upon Hull with the seaside town of Hornsea in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. History Early proposals and construction A proposal for a railway line t ...
. Hornsea Railway Station was designed by Rawlins & Gould, built in brick with sandstone, with five central bays surrounded by two five bay extensions on either side – the station is still extant and was listed 1979.
Hornsea Bridge railway station Hornsea Bridge railway station was a railway station which served the town of Hornsea in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It was on the Hull and Hornsea Railway and the other station serving the town (the other being Hornsea Town). It op ...
was built short of the Hornsea Town terminus, and functioned as a goods station as well as a passenger station.Source: * * The new railway not only benefited the resort, but also enabled Hornsea to function as a dormitory suburb to Hull. There was significant growth in the small scale fishing that took place at Hornsea before the railway – persons recorded as Fishermen rose from 3 in 1851 to a dozen or more in the 1870s to 1890s, with 12 boats and 20 men recorded in 1894 – crab was the major catch, rather than wet fish – crabbing continued to the 1930s but declined after the Second World War. At the same time as the promotion and development of the railway the town was also improved: New Road was laid out in 1848 to improve access to the sea – in the 1860s/'70s Joseph Wade establishing a brick and tile works, and developed Grosvenor Terrace – No.31 of which was layered with his patent 'Acorn' tiles. The coming of the railway was followed by further development, including Alexandra Hotel (1867); Wilton Terrace (1868); the high status dwellings Brampton House (1872–73); and the Grosvenor Estate, built during the period from 1865 to the early 20th century. Civic improvements following or coincidental the opening of the railway included a
gas works A gasworks or gas house is an industrial plant for the production of flammable gas. Many of these have been made redundant in the developed world by the use of natural gas, though they are still used for storage space. Early gasworks Coal ...
(1864, J.A. Wade); a gasworks for the Lansdowne estate, Cliff Road (1870, W.M. Jackson, closed 1899); improved drainage (1874–75, local board); and a Waterworks on Atwick Road (, local board). Wade's brickworks was established south of Hornsea Bridge railway station – by 1890 an hydraulic engineering works had been established adjacent west, both close to the site of the modern Freeport. There was also a short lived brickworks north of the mere, and sand and gravel extraction also took place in the parish, as well as
lime kiln A lime kiln is a kiln used for the calcination of limestone ( calcium carbonate) to produce the form of lime called quicklime (calcium oxide). The chemical equation for this reaction is : CaCO3 + heat → CaO + CO2 This reaction can take p ...
activity. (see also § Geology.) The sea front was also developed, the 1837 Marine Hotel was rebuilt in 1874, and again in 1900; gardens were added to the north in 1898; and the Imperial Hydro Hotel built 1914 on the Esplanade (demolished ). Between 1878 and 1880 a pier was constructed – it was damaged within a year after a ship collided with it during a storm, shortening it by . In 1897 the pier was sold for demolition. The entrance building remained as an amusement arcade until the 1920s. Other notable mid 19th century additions to the town include the two storey three bay vicarage on Newbegin; the stuccoed Pike and Heron public house (); a Primitive Methodist chapel in the Market Place built 1864; a Gothic Revival style non-conformist Congregational church on Hornsea Cliff Road/New Road, built 1868; and the Wesleyan church and adjacent church hall on Newbegin, built 1870, replacing the one in Back Southgate. By 1864 the population had risen on 1,685, then to 1,836 in 1881 and to 2,013 by 1891, reaching 2,381 by 1901.


20th century

By the early 1900s the old town centred on the Market Place had grown little, but new developments had been built near Hornsea Town railway station, specifically the new streets of Eastbourne, Burton, and Alexandra Road; additionally a new estate had been built at the sea front, north of the old road to the sea along Cliff Road – this included the (new) Marine Hotel, as well the promenade and gardens parallel to the new Flamborough Terrace Road and the new (1907) sea defences. The promenade and gardens (Victoria Gardens) were begun in the 1890s. The 'Floral Hall' was added to the seafront gardens in 1913 – both the gardens and hall were extended in 1928. New sea defences were constructed following a destructive storm on the east coast in March 1906. The timber defences were destroyed or damaged by the storm with most of the beach swept away, and a large amount of cliff eroded exposing the underlying clay. The new defences at Hornsea were constructed north of New Road protecting the seafront at Marine Terrace and Victoria Gardens. The works consisted of four
groynes A groyne (in the U.S. groin) is a rigid hydraulic structure built perpendicularly from an ocean shore (in coastal engineering) or a river bank, interrupting water flow and limiting the movement of sediment. It is usually made out of wood, concre ...
plus a concrete sea wall reinforced by steel pile supports. The work was carried out by A. Fasey and Son (
Leytonstone Leytonstone () is an area in east London, England, north-east of Charing Cross. Part of the London Borough of Waltham Forest, a local authority district of Greater London. It adjoins Wanstead to the north-east, Forest Gate to the south-east, ...
) under W.T. Douglas of Westminster. The sea wall was lengthened by to the north and south respectively in 1923, and extended south beyond the stream dike outlet of the mere in 1930. Early 20th century additions to the town included a Church Institute built 1906–07; and the Pickering Almshouses (see Christopher Pickering) built 1908; both on Newbegin. A convalescent home, Gregson Court was built on Cliff Road in 1908–09. The early 20th century house, 'Farrago', on Wilton Road, built with a bolted steel frame with brick and stone dressing by builder David Reynard Robinson is now listed. Hornsea Golf Course was established a mile south of the town in 1910 to a design by
Sandy Herd Alexander "Sandy" Herd (24 April 1868 – 18 February 1944) was a Scottish professional golfer from St Andrews. He won The Open Championship in 1902 at Hoylake. Early life Born in St Andrews, Scotland, on 24 April 1868, to a golfing family, He ...
. (The course is outside the modern parish in Mappleton.) During the
First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
a seaplane base was constructed on Hornsea Mere, named
RNAS Hornsea Mere RNAS Hornsea Mere, (also known as RAF Hornsea Mere), was a Royal Naval Air Service seaplane base located on Hornsea Mere, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. The mere was used for seaplanes because it was close to the sea and because its ...
, the base was used to operate submarine patrols in the North Sea. The base was abandoned after the end of the war. By the 1920s the town had grown further, generally infill and fringe development, as well as housing further along Newbegin and Eastgate blurring the separation between the old town and the seaside resort. A park had also been built between the Eastgate and Newbegin filling the area formerly known as Hall Garths. Some housing had also been built in the area around Hornsea Bridge station. Civic improvements in the
interbellum In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days), the end of the First World War to the beginning of the Second World War. The interwar period was relative ...
included transfer of the fire brigade (est.1902) to a former lifeboat house (1924); reconstruction of the sewers and supply of water from Hull via a water tower at Mappleton (1927); and an electricity supply, via the '' South East Yorkshire Light & Power Co. Ltd.'', with power supplied by
Hull Corporation (Kingston upon) Hull City Council is the governing body for the unitary authority and city of Kingston upon Hull. It was created in 1972 as the successor to the Corporation of (Kingston upon) Hull, which was also known as Hull Corporation and fou ...
(1930). In 1938
Wakefield Metropolitan District Council Wakefield Metropolitan District Council, also known as Wakefield Council, is the local authority of the City of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England. It is a metropolitan district council and provides a full range of local government services in ...
opened a school in Hornsea on the
open air Open air, open-air or openair may refer to: *'' Open Air'', a BBC television program * Open-air cinema or outdoor cinema * Open-air concert, a concert taking place outside *Open-air museum, a distinct type of museum exhibiting its collections out- ...
principle, the site was used by the
Free French Free France (french: France Libre) was a political entity that claimed to be the legitimate government of France following the dissolution of the Third Republic. Led by French general , Free France was established as a government-in-exile ...
during the Second World War, and later returned to educational use. During the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
Hornsea was fortified with numerous anti-invasion structures, designed to prevent a beachhead being established at Hornsea by invading forces – beach defences consisted of pillboxes flanking the promenade, whilst the beach was protected by anti-tank cubes and mines; at South Cliff 4.7-inch guns were installed. Beyond the beach any potential invasion was protected against by road and rail blocks, further pillboxes, and minefields, limiting routes through the town to three roads and the railway line – the road access was narrowed by the use of concrete blocks and protected by pillboxes – the fortification was intended to hold up or delay any invasion force landing at Hornsea. Many of the predominantly reinforced concrete structures are no longer extant, the recorded defences include: coastal beach defence batteries, with 4.7-inch gun batteries, other gun emplacements, numerous pillboxes, road blocks and road and railway antitank obstacles, including extensive anti-tank cubes on the beach, Royal Observer Corps posts, weapons pits and/or infantry trenches, barbed wire protected trackways and Army camps and associated facilities, including a camp "Rolston camp", located east of the Hornsea Bridge suburb on ground now destroyed by coastal erosion, with associated infantry trenches, grenade ranges, strongpoints and minefields, some farm buildings were also fortified. Other Second World War structures also included air raid shelters, and 'Diver' anti-aircraft battery designed to destroy
V1 flying bomb The V-1 flying bomb (german: Vergeltungswaffe 1 "Vengeance Weapon 1") was an early cruise missile. Its official Ministry of Aviation (Nazi Germany), Reich Aviation Ministry () designation was Fi 103. It was also known to the Allies as the buz ...
s. By the middle of the 20th century Hornsea had continued to grow, with new housing built or under construction south of Hornsea Town station, and at the coastal resort. New schools had also been established. Hornsea's population rose consistently through the 20th century, with growth averaging several hundred persons per decade – by 1951 the population had risen by nearly 3,000 from 1900 levels to 5,324.
Hornsea Pottery Hornsea Pottery was a business located in the coastal town of Hornsea in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. They specialized in tableware with elegant contemporary designs. The pottery was founded in 1949, in a small terraced house, by br ...
was founded 1949. In 1953 the business was moved to the former Wade brickworks (Marlborough Avenue), and the Hornsea Pottery Co. Ltd. established 1955. The company became a major local employer with 200 persons working by the 1960s. The Church of the Sacred Heart (Catholic) was built in 1956 on Southgate. The Hull to Hornsea railway line was closed in 1964/5. Hornsea Bridge Station was later demolished. The railway line's closure led to some contraction of the tourist industry, and decline in the town. Civic improvements in the second half of the 20th century included a new
fire station __NOTOC__ A fire station (also called a fire house, fire hall, firemen's hall, or engine house) is a structure or other area for storing firefighting apparatuses such as fire engines and related vehicles, personal protective equipment, fire ...
on Southgate (1965); the closure of the gas works, and transfer to North Sea gas (late 1960s); and a new outfall sewer and pumping station (1970s). Small industrial estates were built off Cliff Road in the late 1960s, and near Rolston Road on former railway land in the 1980s. (''Hornsea Bridge Industrial estate'', Old Bridge Road) Much of the post war expansion was around south of Hornsea Bridge station, and west of Cliff Road to the north. By 1970 Hornsea's urban expansion had reached near the level maintained until the end of the 20th century. Housing was expanded to the west of the town off the B1244/Westgate on Cheyne Walk and later Cheyne Garth after the 1970s. The estate south of the town was expanded with the addition of Tansley Lane . A museum, ''The North Holderness Museum of Village Life'' ( Hornsea Museum) was established in 1978, on Newbegin. Hornsea Pottery entered
receivership In law, receivership is a situation in which an institution or enterprise is held by a receiver—a person "placed in the custodial responsibility for the property of others, including tangible and intangible assets and rights"—especially in c ...
in 1984 and after several changes of owner production ended in 2000. A visitor attraction was built at the site – in 1994 'Hornsea Freeport', a shopping attraction, was opened at the site. The town gained a swimming pool at 'Hornsea Leisure Centre' in 1996.


21st century

In 2009
Tesco Tesco plc () is a British multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Welwyn Garden City, England. In 2011 it was the third-largest retailer in the world measured by gross revenues and the ninth-largest in th ...
submitted and had accepted an application to build a large store near Southgate. The store opened January 2012. By 2011, Hornsea's population was 8,432, increasing from 8,243 in 2001, and from 7,934 persons in 1991.


Lost villages


Hornsea Beck

Hornsea Beck was a small village or hamlet close to the sea – it is recorded in existence as early as 1367, and had been completely destroyed by the coastal erosion by . Losses to the sea of 38 houses are recorded from 1546 to 1609.


Hornsea Burton

:''See also § History'' Hornsea Burton was located to the south-east of Hornsea Town. The present 'Hornsea Burton Road' leads east to the coast where it stops, but it once continued some half a mile further to Hornsea Burton village, now long since inundated by the sea. By 1840 the remaining western part of the village was depopulated.


Northorpe

Northorpe was located north of Hornsea. The site was completely depopulated sometime between the late 1600s and 1809.


Southorpe

The village was once a settlement at Southorpe, on the south side of the mere – the village was recorded by the Domesday survey, and existed until the 17th century. By the beginning of the 19th century the village had been abandoned.


Gallery

Hornsea Mere.jpg, Swan Island on Hornsea Mere (2007) The Alexandra, Railway Street, Hornsea - geograph.org.uk - 322172.jpg, Alexandra Hotel, built 1867 (2007) The Pike and Heron Hornsea.jpg, The Pike and Heron, Market Place, built (2007) Hornsea Folly.jpg, Bettison's Folly, built 1844 (2007) Atwick Road Water Works.jpg, Atwick Road water works, established 1878 (2008) United Reformed Church, New Road, Hornsea - geograph.org.uk - 322237.jpg, Congregational church, built 1874 (2007) Hornsea Methodist Church - geograph.org.uk - 324118.jpg, Methodist (Wesleyan) church, built 1870 (2007) Hornsea Sea Wall and Promenade - geograph.org.uk - 1779332.jpg, Marine Hotel and Monument commemorating the opening of the seawall and promenade, 6 July 1907 (2010) Hall Garth Park, Hornsea - geograph.org.uk - 1317013.jpg, Hall Garth Park, variations in the ground may be former earthworks of a medieval moated site


Sport

Hornsea Cricket Club plays at the Hollis Recreation Ground. Notable former players include Johnny Briggs (
England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
), and Tom Kohler-Cadmore (
Worcestershire Worcestershire ( , ; written abbreviation: Worcs) is a county in the West Midlands of England. The area that is now Worcestershire was absorbed into the unified Kingdom of England in 927, at which time it was constituted as a county (see H ...
and
Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ; abbreviated Yorks), formally known as the County of York, is a historic county in northern England and by far the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its large area in comparison with other English counties, functions have ...
). Hornsea is home to Hornsea Rugby Union Football Club. They play at the Hollis Recreation Ground and are nicknamed the 'Hollismen'. They currently play in
Yorkshire 4 Counties 4 Yorkshire is an English rugby union league at the tenth tier of the domestic competition for teams from Yorkshire. Club rugby in Yorkshire operates without promotion play-offs meaning that the top two teams are automatically promote ...
's South East division. Hornsea Town F.C. is an amateur football team who also play at the Hollis Recreation Ground. Their nicknames include 'Town' or 'The Seasiders'. The club plays in the premier division of the
Humber Premier League The Humber Premier League is a football competition for clubs in the East Riding of Yorkshire and north Lincolnshire areas of England. History The league was formed in 2000. Reckitts won the league five times in the first six seasons of its ex ...
after gaining promotion by winning division one in the 2016–17 season. Hornsea Town has eight teams; including a first team (HPL Premier Div), reserves (
East Riding County League The East Riding County League is a football competition based in England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest a ...
), veterans (Hull & District Veterans Football League) and a Sunday team (Hull Men's Sunday Football League).


Notable people

* Johnny Briggs (1862–1902), former England cricketer played at Hornsea CC. *
Edward John Eyre Edward John Eyre (5 August 181530 November 1901) was an English land explorer of the Australian continent, colonial administrator, and Governor of Jamaica. Early life Eyre was born in Whipsnade, Bedfordshire, shortly before his family moved t ...
(1815–1901), English born Australian pioneer, son of a vicar of Hornsea. * James Opie Urmson (1915-2012), Oxford philosopher and classicist, born in Hornsea. *
Sonia Dresdel Sonia Dresdel (5 May 1909 – 18 January 1976) was an English actress, whose career ran between the 1940s and 1970s. Life She was born Lois Obee in Hornsea, East Riding of Yorkshire, England, and was educated at Aberdeen High School for Girls a ...
(1909–1976), English actress, born in Hornsea *
Winifred Holtby Winifred Holtby (23 June 1898 – 29 September 1935) was an English novelist and journalist, now best known for her novel '' South Riding'', which was posthumously published in 1936. Biography Holtby was born to a prosperous farming family in ...
(1898–1935), writer, lived for a time on Cliff Road. *
Sheila Mercier Sheila Betty Mercier ('' née'' Rix; 1 January 1919 – 4 December 2019) was an English actress, of stage and television, best known for playing Annie Sugden in the soap opera ''Emmerdale'' for over 20 years, from the programme's first episode i ...
(1919–2019), actress, sister to Brian Rix. *
Adrian Rawlins Adrian John Rawlins (born 27 March 1958) is an English actor best known for playing Arthur Kidd in ''The Woman in Black'' and James Potter in the ''Harry Potter'' films. In 2019, he starred in ''Chernobyl'' as Nikolai Fomin. Early life Rawlin ...
(born 1958), actor, lives in Hornsea. * Brian Rix (1924–2016), later given the title ''Baron Rix, of Whitehall, in the City of Westminster and of Hornsea in Yorkshire''. He lived in Hornsea as a child, and married
Elspet Gray Elspet Jean Gray, Baroness Rix (née Gray; 12 April 1929 – 18 February 2013) was a Scottish actress, who first became known for her partnership with her husband, Brian Rix, and later was cast in many television roles in the 1970s and 1980s. S ...
in St Nicholas Church in 1949. * Joseph Sheard (1813–1883), Mayor of Toronto (1871–72), born in Hornsea *
Edith Tolkien Edith Mary Tolkien ( Bratt; 21 January 1889 – 29 November 1971) was an Englishwoman, known as the wife and muse of the novelist J. R. R. Tolkien, and the inspiration for his fictional Middle-earth characters Lúthien Tinúviel and Arwen Und ...
(1889–1971), wife of
J. R. R. Tolkien John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, ; 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was the Rawlins ...
, lodged at 1 Bank Terrace, Hornsea, while her husband was stationed at Thirtle Bridge * Roger Lonsdale (1934–2022), British literary scholar and academic. Elected a Fellow of the
British Academy The British Academy is the United Kingdom's national academy for the humanities and the social sciences. It was established in 1902 and received its royal charter in the same year. It is now a fellowship of more than 1,000 leading scholars spa ...
in 1991, born in Hornsea


Arms


See also

*
Hornsea Wind Farm Hornsea Wind Farm is a Round 3 wind farm which began construction in 2018. Sited in the North Sea off the east coast of England, the eventual wind farm group is planned to have a total capacity of up to 6 gigawatt (GW). The development ha ...
, 21st century North Sea wind farm under development off the English coast *
Withernsea Withernsea is a seaside resort and civil parish in Holderness, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. Its white inland lighthouse, rising around above Hull Road, now houses a museum to 1950s actress Kay Kendall, who was born in the town. The Pr ...
, Holderness coastal resort * Hornsea Cottage Hospital, local health facility


Notes


References


Sources

* * * * * * * * * * *


Literature

* * *


External links


Hornsea Town Council
{{authority control Towns in the East Riding of Yorkshire Holderness Seaside resorts in England Beaches of the East Riding of Yorkshire Civil parishes in the East Riding of Yorkshire Populated coastal places in the East Riding of Yorkshire