The Humber Bridge

The Humber Bridge is a suspension bridge that crosses the Humber Estuary five miles west of the city of Hull in northeast England. When it was opened in 1981 its central span, at 1,410 metres (4,626 feet) was the world's longest, although it has since lost that accolade to ten other bridges, six of them being in China.

The engineers were Freeman, Fox and Partners, and the work took eight years to complete.

The structure contains 470,000 tons of concrete, and the cables that support the roadway consist of 70,700 kms (44,000 miles) of wire, which is enough to go round the world one and a half times.

The towers are 152 metres (533 feet) high and the road deck is 30 metres (100 feet) above the water at high tide.

There is no Humber River as such, because the estuary carries the waters of two major rivers to the sea. These are the Ouse and the Trent, which between them drain nearly 10,000 square miles of Northern England and the East Midlands. The estuary, which is already a mile wide upstream of the Bridge, is more than seven miles across before it reaches the sea more than 20 miles to the east.

The bridge solved a problem that had troubled travelers for hundreds of years. The Romans built a major road north from Lincoln (Ermine Street) which was part of the route from London to York. However, the crossing of the Humber had to be by ferry. There is evidence that rafts were used in prehistoric times.

More recently, a paddle steamer service connected Hull to New Holland, a few miles east of the new bridge.

The only bridging point prior to the opening of the Humber Bridge was at Goole, 29 miles west of Hull. This became a congested “pinch point”, especially when heavy goods vehicles tried to get through the town. Things were eased when the motorway network bypassed Goole, but the Humber Bridge shortened the route between East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire and is now heavily used.

© John Welford

Lydford Gorge, Devon

Lydford Gorge is a beauty spot on the edge Dartmoor, Devon, that is well worth a visit if you don’t mind a strenuous walk over some uneven ground.

The River Lyd has carved a steep narrow gorge as it makes its way off the moor. The tree-lined ravine is a haven for wildlife and you might see a kingfisher or a dipper at work in the river. The woodland floor in Spring in covered in wild garlic that provides a heady scent.

You can follow the river for over a mile, past the Devil’s Cauldron, which is a whirlpool of white foaming water, down to where it falls 30 metres over the White Lady waterfall (see picture).

The site is managed by the National Trust, who make a charge for entry, but if you enjoy seeing the English countryside at its unspoilt best, and you have a decent pair of walking boots, the visit will be well worth it!

© John Welford

Merrivale Stone Row, Dartmoor

Merrivale Stone Row is high up on Dartmoor, in the southwest England county of Devon. There is a great deal of evidence that this region, now largely deserted, was home to many people during the Bronze Age (c. 2000-650 BC). The Merrivale Stone Row is one of about 60 similar ancient monuments on Dartmoor, as well as many stone circles, solitary standing stones and tomb remains.

The Merrivale Stone Row stands out from the rest by virtue of its length and completeness. It consists of two nearly parallel double rows of stones thirty yards apart.

The northern row is about 180 metres (590 feet) long and the southern row is about 260 metres (850 feet) long. There is a burial cist (stone-lined grave) and small stone circle about halfway along the longer row.

Why was it built? No-one can be absolutely certain, but the prominent position of a burial cist suggests that it could have been a processional route to honour the memory of great clan leader.

© John Welford

Some natural wonders of the Dorset coast

The county of Dorset, on the south coast of England, has one of the most fascinating coasts of any county, with many features of interest packed into a short distance. Here are some of Dorset’s natural wonders along this stretch of the world-famous Jurassic Coast.

Chesil Beach

This is a shingle ridge that connects the massive lump of limestone known as Portland to the rest of Dorset. It stretches for a total of 18 miles (29 kms), is up to 60 feet (18 metres) high and has created a salt-water lagoon, known as The Fleet, between itself and the mainland. At the far western end of The Fleet is the famous Abbotsbury Swannery.

A strange feature of Chesil Beach is that the pebbles that comprise it are graded in size, from “duck eggs” at the eastern end to “marrowfat peas” at the western end. Experiments have been done that demonstrate the process by which this happens – marked large pebbles will eventually be transported by the sea from west to east by the process of “longshore drift”.

The material that comprises Chesil Beach may have originated in landslides at the end of the last Ice Age, after which the sea gradually pushed the eroded material onshore. Chesil Beach has probably been in its present position about four or five thousand years.

Lulworth Cove

This is a small natural harbour that was created thousands of years ago when the sea broke through a narrow band of limestone rock and eroded the softer clays behind it, before being restricted by harder chalk rocks that now form a cliff at the back of the Cove. This is therefore a microcosm of the geology of much of southern England, with the broad swathes of Jurassic limestone (such as the Cotswolds) and Cretaceous chalk (such as Salisbury Plain), separated by broad clay vales, being reduced to a compass of a few hundred metres at this point.

Next door to Lulworth Cove is Stair Hole, which is a more recent example of erosion of the limestone. Eventually, Stair Hole and Lulworth Cove will join together. Stair Hole also shows evidence of ancient folding of the limestone in a dramatic “zigzag” of the strata at the back of the Hole. This is known as the “Lulworth Crumple”.

Lulworth Cove is a popular stopping-off point for sailors of small boats as they proceed up the Channel coast, as it offers a safe and sheltered anchorage.

Under the cliffs just to the west of Lulworth Cove a “fossil forest” can be seen. These are the fossilised remains of ancient tree stumps that were growing some 150 million years ago.

Durdle Dor (or Door)

A mile or so west of Lulworth Cove is another example of the power of the sea in eroding ancient rocks. The narrow band of limestone that once stretched along the whole coastline juts across a small bay, and a large hole has been cut through this outcrop to form a perfect example of a sea arch.

In calm weather it is possible to swim or canoe through the arch, or it can be admired from the shingle beach nearby, especially when the evening sun catches the Dor’s inner walls.

The name Durdle comes from Old English “thirl”, which means “to pierce”, and “pierced door” sounds like a perfect description.

Old Harry Rocks

These mark the eastern end of the Jurassic Coast, although the rocks are composed entirely of younger Cretaceous sediments.

The series of rocks that jut out into the sea from the end of Ballard Down are sea stacks that are entirely due to coastal erosion. There is local controversy over which of the rocks is actually Old Harry, but the consensus is that this honour belongs to the cylindrical stack that is furthest out to sea. However, within historical times there were other stacks further out than this one, which were given various names including “Old Harry’s Wife and Children”.

At low tide it is possible to walk along the shore from the north side, but walkers should beware of rock falls from above, given the process of erosion that is always taking place.

From the cliff top one can look across to the Isle of Wight and The Needles, which are also sea stacks carved out of chalk. At one time there was a continuous band of chalk between Old Harry and The Needles, before this was breached and the large expanse of Poole Bay was formed.

So who was Old Harry? One candidate for giving his name to the Rocks was the famous pirate Harry Paye, who was based in Poole Harbour and created havoc to Spanish and French shipping in the late 14^th and early 15^th centuries. Another possibility is that the name simply refers to the Devil, one of whose nicknames has long been Old Harry.

© John Welford

Wylye, Wiltshire

Wylye is a small village about ten miles northwest of Salisbury, Wiltshire, in southern England. The river that flows through the village is the River Wylye, a Celtic name that is the origin of “Wil” in Wilton, the town a few miles downstream from which the county of Wiltshire took its name.

Evidence that this area has been inhabited and cultivated from ancient times was confirmed in 2012 by the discovery, close to the village, of the Wylye Hoard, consisting of 41 copper-based objects that date from the Bronze Age. The hoard can be seen in the Salisbury Museum.

During Roman times the Wylye Valley was an important food source for the legions. Extensive grain pits have been excavated at Bilbury Farm, a mile from the village. Edible snails can still be found in the Wylye Valley; these are the descendants of snails originally imported by the Romans.

The village is a bridging point of the River Wylye, although in earlier times there was a ford here. When a stagecoach, back in the 18^th century, tried to cross the ford when the river was running high, it overturned and a post-boy, whose task was to blow a horn to announce the arrival of the coach at its various stopping points, rescued several passengers but was himself drowned. A lead statue of the post-boy, blowing his horn, was erected in the river close to the village mill, to commemorate his bravery and sacrifice.

Many of the older cottages in the village are typical of this area in having been built from Chilmark stone and flint, and with mullioned windows – i.e. divided into separate panes by stone uprights. However, few of the houses in the main street have thatched roofs, which might have been expected. This is because of a fire in 1924 which started at a farm in the village and was fanned by a strong wind so that all the thatched roofs were lost. The replacement roofs were made from fire-resistant tiles or slates, although some more recent owners have reverted to traditional thatch.

The oldest cottage, which dates from the 14^th century, is Wylands Cottage which was originally two adjoining cottages, one of stone and the other of timber. It has a massive gable and steep red-tiled roof.

The Church of St Mary the Virgin was largely rebuilt in 1846 on the site of a 13^th century building. The tower, which is 15th century, survived the Victorian restoration. The richly carved oak pulpit dates from 1628.

In the churchyard is a large tomb surrounded by wrought-iron railings, which visitors might think contains the remains of a local dignitary. However, this is not the case, according to tradition. The story that is usually told is that a man named Popjay commissioned the tomb for his mother and sister. Before it was finished, Popjay left the village without having paid for the work. The rector decided to fund the work himself and it was his own remains that eventually occupied it.

Next to the church is the Bell Inn. Hanging above the fireplace can be seen the 19^th century bell clappers from the church. 

© John Welford

Southern Scotland: some natural wonders

Scotland abounds with natural wonders. Here are brief introductions to some those to be found south of the highlands.

Loch Lomond

This freshwater loch, famed for its “bonny, bonny, banks”, is 24 miles long, 27 square miles in extent, and marks the point where Highland and Lowland Scotland meet.

Geologically, this region is known as the Highland Border Complex where an ancient mountain range collided with lowlands composed of Devonian rocks, with a mixture of marine sediments thrown in. It is possible to see the corresponding fault line, running across several of the islands in the loch, from the summit of nearby Conic Hill.

Loch Lomond and its surrounds are very rich in wildlife, this being a sanctuary for many over-wintering wildfowl such as Greenland white-fronted geese. Over a quarter of all native British plant species can be found here.

There are many islands in the loch, most of which are privately owned, but access can be had to the nature reserves on Inchcailloch, Bucinch and Ceardach.

Arthur’s Seat

The area that is now Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland, is the result of extremely violent volcanic activity in the distant past. Arthur’s Seat and nearby Salisbury Crags are prominences that were created when a volcano erupted some 335 million years ago.

The summit of Arthur’s Seat, 820 feet high, offers a stiff climb that is rewarded by magnificent views over Edinburgh and the surrounding area. There is evidence of occupation by people during the Bronze and Iron Ages, thus demonstrating the strategic importance of the area in past times.

Traprain and North Berwick Laws

“Law” simply means “hill”, these two being in East Lothian. They stand prominently above the surrounding countryside, Traprain Law being 734 feet high and North Berwick Law 613 feet high.

They are all that is left of ancient volcanoes.

Traprain Law, to the east of Haddington, was a fortified site during the Iron Age and may well have been occupied since the Stone Age. It is the largest hill fort in Scotland.

North Berwick Law overlooks the small coastal town of that name, and quarrying of the hill provided the red basalt stone that can be seen in many local buildings. From the top there are splendid views of the Firth of Forth, Edinburgh and the Lammermuir Hills. At the summit is an arch made from the jawbone of a whale.

St Abb’s Head

This headland in Berwickshire is of great interest both to naturalists and geologists, as well as offering superb sea and coastal views.

There is evidence here of the continental collision, around 400 million years ago, that joined what is now northern Scotland to the rest of Great Britain.

This is one of the largest seabird breeding colonies in Europe, and the birds to be seen here in huge numbers include razorbills, shags, puffins and fulmars. St Abb’s Head was established as a National Nature Reserve in 1983 and is looked after by the National Trust for Scotland.

The area has been occupied for at least 3,000 years and it was the site of an early Christian community. The ruins of a 7^th century monastery, founded by St Ebbe, can still be traced on the cliff edge.

Bass Rock

This is the most prominent of four islands in the Firth of Forth close to the shore near North Berwick. It is volcanic in origin, being the plug of a volcano that emerged in the Carboniferous Era around 300 million years ago.

It rises from the sea to about 350 feet, with sheer cliffs on three sides and a more gentle slope on the fourth. A castle was built here in the early 15^th century and a lighthouse in 1903.

The rock has world importance due to the fact that up to 800,000 gannets nest on its cliffs. It is home to about 10% of the world’s North Atlantic gannets. The gannet’s scientific name – Morus bassana – derives from its presence on Bass Rock.

Boat trips can be taken to the Rock from North Berwick, and visitors are likely to see gray seals swimming near the Rock as well as vast numbers of gannets during the breeding season.

The Grey Mare’s Tail

This is a spectacular waterfall near Moffat in Dumfries and Galloway. A small loch, Loch Skeen, which is one of the highest in Scotland, drains via a small burn (stream) into the valley below. It does so via a 200 foot (60 metre) drop, hence the waterfall.

This is the result of glaciation about 15,000 years during the last Ice Age. The valley below Lock Skeen was occupied by a glacier that excavated a typical U-shaped valley that was somewhat deeper than would have been achieved by a normal river, and with much steeper sides. When the glacier melted and normal drainage patterns resumed, tributary valleys, such as that draining Loch Skeen, would have been left “hanging”, with their streams plunging down the steep sides of the glaciated valley.

The waterfall is best seen when there is plenty of water coming down from the loch, and this is normally in late winter or early spring.

The Grey Mare’s Tail was described by Sir Walter Scott as “white as the snowy charger’s tail”.

The area around the waterfall is renowned for its rare upland plants, this being one of best places to find them in southern Scotland.

© John Welford

Worth Matravers, Dorset

Worth Matravers is a village on the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset, although the word “isle” is misleading because Purbeck is only surrounded by water on three sides.

The village owes its existence to stone quarrying, there being a number of quarries (active and disused) in the area from which Purbeck stone and marble has been extracted and used in the building of many houses, churches and cathedrals. The houses in the village were originally occupied by quarrymen and stonemasons.  These are grouped around a small pond that has a resident community of ducks.

The village pub, the Square and Compass, takes its name from two of the tools used by stonemasons.

The local fields, which are virtually treeless, are criss-crossed by dry stone walls, and it is possible to spot ammonite fossils (coiled cephalopods that lived at the same time as the dinosaurs) in some of the stones.

There are splendid views to be had along the Jurassic Coast from footpaths starting in the village. Also to be seen are medieval strip lynchets alongside steep valleys leading to the coast. These are terraces that were formerly used for agriculture.

Worth Matravers Church, dedicated to St Nicholas is Norman in origin, although much restored in the 19^th century. In the churchyard is the grave of Benjamin Jesty, a farmer who discovered the secret of inoculation for the prevention of smallpox some twenty years before Edward Jenner, who is usually credited with this.

On a nearby headland is St Aldhelm’s Church, a square building with only one small window, that dates from the 12^th century. It is said to be the only church in the country with no east wall, because the four corners are at the points of the compass.

© John Welford