‘99 
. COAST CHANGES AT HORNSEA. 
T. SHEPPARD, F.G.S. 
(PLATES V. AND VI.). 
In The Naturalist for April 1912, pp. 114-120, we gave a series of 
photographs illustrating the coast changes at Hornsea, one of 
which showed the sea-ward end of the Mere Stream, or © Stream 
Dyke.’ These had been taken just before the journal appeared. 
Since then, the storms of November last have played havoc 
with the coast-line in the Hornsea neighbourhood, and even the 
photographs taken within a few months of each other show 
remarkable differences. 
After a storm and unusually high tide early in November, 
great quantities of sand were carried over the low cliffs and into 
the field beyond, just south of the remains of the Pier. The 
fields were also flooded, but most of the water drained off as 
the tide fell. The mouth of the Stream Dyke was entirely 
blocked with many tons of sand and gravel, and the outfall 
shown in the photograph in The Naturalist for April last, was 
entirely buried. The recent rains had caused the waters on 
Hornsea Mere to be unusually high, and the Stream Dyke was 
running at a rate rarely known. These waters cut through 
the accumulation of sand, and formed an exit to the north of 
the proper ‘ clew.’ The stream is at present so powerful that 
it entirely cuts off the walk along the sands to the south of the 
town. 
Fig. r (Plate V.) shows the concrete ‘ Trunk Head’ of the 
Stream, entirely covered by the sand. Fig. 2 (Plate V.) shows 
the new channel cut by the dyke, and its course over the sands 
to the sea. Its former outlet, with the iron cage, is shown to 
the right of the picture. Fig. 3 (Plate VI.) is from a photograph 
taken looking towards Hornsea Mere; the stream, instead of 
flowing straight into the sea, has taken a turn to the right 
(north) and has cut through its former channel, which can be 
seen to the right of the photograph. Fig. 4 (Plate VI.) is 
taken from the same point as Fig. 3, but looking towards the 
sea. It shows the fresh water finding its way across the sand 
to the sea, whereas formerly it was an insignificant stream and 
flowed on the opposite (south) side of the groyne. 
The remains of the roadway shewn to the left of South Cliff 
Cottage, in The Naturalist for April 1912 (Plate VIII.), have 
now entirely gone, and the ‘ last remnants’ of the old sand- 
bank, shown on Plate X. in the same publication, have also 
disappeared, 
In am indebted to Mr. H. S. Harker for the trouble he has 
taken in securing the photographs which are used in the illus- 
tration of this note. 
1913 Feb. 1. 
