THE YORKSHIRE NATURALISTS' UNION AT WITHERNSEA.
(editied version from an article originally published in the Naturalist in 1892)
On the occasion of this year's visit to the
coast-line, Withernsea being the centre of operations, the Union were much
indebted in every way to their Hull members, both as regards the assistance
they rendered to the Secretaries in making the preliminary arrangements and
as regards their taking a full share in the excursion itself. The excursion
was planned for the investigation of that portion of the Holderness coast
which extends from Sand-le-Mere southward to Dimlington High Land. The day
being Bank Holiday Monday, the 1st of August, and there being but one way of
access to the district, all members had to mingle at Hull and its suburban
stations with many thousands of day trippers travelling by a number of
relief trains which did not stop at intermediate stations. One unexpected
result of this was that it was found impracticable to carry out the
arrangements for a party to investigate the woods at Old Winestead, it being
impossible to ascertain in the crowded stations at Hull either what members
wished to join that party or which of the trains was the ordinary one which
was to stop at Winestead station.
On arrival at Withernsea station the other two
parties which had been arranged set off after a short delay. One of these
was as customary the geological one, and was in charge of Mr. Alfred Harker,
M.A., F.G.S., who conducted his followers southward to Holmpton, and thence
along the cliff to Dimlington, returning from thence to Withernsea along the
beach, the tide being favourable, low water being at 2 p.m. A small party of
naturalists followed them at a respectful distance and on the return
accompanied them for a portion of the distance. Both of these parties were
alike interested in the sections of the lacustrine beds shown in the cliffs
of Boulder Clay, evidencing the former existence of a chain of lakes of
which Hornsea Mere is now the only one left, and in which, thousand of years
old as they are, are to be found in great profusion the shells of various
freshwater mollusca and the remains of fish of species now to be found alive
in that Mere. …
All parties, including various late-comers who were
unable to reach Withernsea in time to join the main parties, congregated
about half-past four in the afternoon, in the large refreshment room
attached to the Pier Hotel, Withernsea. Here, after a substantial though
plainly-served meat tea, the sectional, and afterwards the general, meetings
were held.
At the general meeting, in the absence of the
President and Vice-Presidents, Mr. John James Stead, of Heckmondwike, was
voted to the chair. The minutes having been taken as read, the roll of
Societies was called over, when it was found that the fifty or sixty members
present were representatives from the following Societies, fifteen in
number: — Barnsley, Wakefield, Liversedge, Goole, Leeds Naturalists' Club,
Conchological Society, Leeds Geological Association, Bradford Scientific
Association, Halifax, Huddersfield, Ravensthorpe, and all the three Hull
Societies. A couple of new members having been duly elected, Mr. John
Stears, the Secretary of the Hull Field Naturalists' Society, proposed, Mr.
J. J. Marshall, of Market Weighton, seconded, and the meeting cordially
accepted, a vote of thanks to the various leaders of parties and
contributors of information to the excursion-programme, as well as to
Messrs. Walter Bailey, James Reckitt, G.W. Dickinson, Thomas Holden, George
Clark, Edward Clark, and J. Biglin, for allowing members to pursue
investigations on their lands. The spokesmen of the various sections were
then called upon for their reports upon the day's results.
…. Mr. Alfred Harker,
M.A., F.G.S., who reported in the absence of all the officers of the
Geological Section, writes that the geological contingent found in the
cliffs south of Withernsea ample opportunities for seeing something of the
Glacial and Post-glacial history of the Holderness district, although time
did not permit of a sufficiently detailed study of all the points of
interest, and it would be difficult in a day's excursion to add anything
material to what is known of this much-explored tract. The bulk of the party
made their way by road to Out Newton, and, descending to the beach, examined
the base of the cliffs at Dimlington High Land. This is one of the few
places where the lowest or Basement Boulder-clay is exposed. The
peculiarities of this clay, and especially the evidences of the grinding
action of the ice as seen in the crushing and rolling out of boulders, were
here studied. The general character of the boulders themselves was noted.
Besides the rocks found in place along the coast to the north, the
Carboniferous beds of Teesdale and the higher districts were well
represented, while such rocks as the augite-syenite and 'Rhombenporphyr' of
the Christiania district, with gneisses, garnetiferous mica schists, and
granites, indicated the foreign origin of part of the material.
Shell-fragments were found occurring frequently in this Basement-clay, and
Mr.Stather, who had come down at an earlier hour, found good specimens of
several shells, such as
Astarte borealis, A. compressa
(?),
A. sulcata,
fragments of
Cyprina islandica,
Tellina baltica (?),
Dentalium,
and
Balanus. Waterworn
Cardium
echinatum (?),
Saxicava
rugosa and
Turritella
erosa, were also among the finds. The
Basement-clay occupies about 20 ft. of the cliff at Dimlington, and is
succeeded by well-bedded loam and gravel, reaching an unusual thickness up
to 20 ft. Above this come the Purple Clays and higher deposits which are
better studied farther north, and were well seen as the party returned to
Withernsea by the coast. The Basement-clay sinks below the beach at Out
Newton, and for most of the way the lower part of the cliffs is occupied by
the Purple Clay. The chalky base of this was studied at several points, and
the division into an Upper and Lower Purple Clay, marked usually by a more
or less laminated band, was also noted. Here the Norwegian boulders are
perhaps less abundant, while the coming-in of occasional Lake District rocks
seems to be another point of difference from the Basement Clay. The Shap
granite and the porphyritic lava of Eycott were found. Above the Purple Clay
the Hessle gravels and sands seem to be fairly constant along this line,
while the red Hessle Clay * generally forms the uppermost part of the
cliffs. In several places, however, the well-known lacustrine deposits
belonging to a much more recent date were observed. A fine example occupies
the low cliffs for some distance to the north of Out Newton. Here occur
fresh-water marls to a thickness of eight or ten feet, crowded with shells.
Spharium corneiim,
Pisidium
sp..
Valvata
piscinalis,
Limncea
peregra, etc., were found, besides
fish-vertebras. Above the marl come peaty layers to a thickness of two or
three feet, the lower bands being largely compacted masses of leaves and
wood. Another large lacustrine deposit, showing a somewhat similar section,
was examined immediately north of Nevill's Drain. Here too were found
abundant
Limncea peregra,
besides occasional
L. stagnalis
(?),
Planorbis complanatus,
etc.
Throughout the day's journey the evidences of the
waste of the cliffs was prominently exhibited. The defences erected at
Withernsea some twenty years ago, seem to have accelerated the destruction
of the coast-line to the immediate south, by cutting off the supply of
beach-material travelling from the north, which should constitute to some
extent a natural protection to the cliffs.
The meeting then
concluded with a unanimous vote of thanks to the chairman, proposed by Mr.
Edwin Hawkesworth, of Leeds, and an announcement of the Fungus Foray at
Malton, and meeting at Coxwold in September, after which the members made
their way to the railway station, and proceeded by the 6.28 train to Hull,
en
route for their various destinations.—
W. D. R
Hull Geological Society 2020
(republished from The Naturalist with permission of the Yorkshire Naturalists Union.)