A MILLENNIUM PROJECT A MILLENNIUM PROJECT SUPPORTED BY FUNDS SUPPORTED BY FUNDS FROM THE NATIONAL LOTTERY FROM THE NATIONAL LOTTERY 75 % 75 % Printed on recycled paper Printed on recycled paper Designed by Durham County Council’s Design & Print Services. Designed by Durham County Council’s Design & Print Services. © 2002 Durham County Council © 2002 Durham County Council C M Y K the unique landscape of the east Durham coast Standing today on the cliffs, looking across eastern Durham and out to sea it is easy to imagine the landscape as something permanent which, despite social and economic changes, has always been there. This apparent tranquillity belies the dramatic events which have shaped the scene and which can be deduced from reading the evidence contained in the landscape and the rocks beneath it. As the tides turn today it is worth reflecting that countless tides have turned over millions of years on what is now the Durham coast. first Acknowledgements: Humans Front Cover: Wall Brown Butterfly, John Hope last dinosaurs (English Nature); Coastal Grasslands, Mike Lowe; first birds Coastline at Blackhall Rocks. first mammals & dinosaurs Magnesian Limestone formed Page 4: Reconstruction of Coal Measures Swamp, Coal Measures formed IPR/6-51 British Geological Survey. © NERC. first forests All rights reserved. first land plants Page 6: Sketch Section, British Geological Survey. first sea urchins & fish Reconstruction of Coal Measures trees , published first corals by permission of the Palaeontological Association. first shellfish Although humans have only been on earth for a Page 8: Reconstruction of Permian Reef, published by Springer-Verlag, ‘Lecture Notes in Earth very short space of time, relative to geological Sciences ’, edited T.M. Peryt, 1987. time, their actions have affected and continue to Page 9: Land and Sea, Brian Young (British affect the landscape all around, including here, Geological Survey). on the east Durham coast. Page 10: Fossil fish, reproduced from W. King’s 1850 Palaeontographical Society Monograph of Little is known about early human history in Permian Fossils in England, by permission. County Durham. Former settlement sites, tumuli Page 12: Easington Raised Beach, Brian Young (British Geological Survey). (pre-historic burial sites) and an abundance of Page 14: Ice Movements, Brian Young (British scattered flint tools record widespread settlement Geological Survey). dating from shortly after the melting of the ice Page 16: Caves at Blackhall, District of Easington sheets. For centuries the Magnesian Limestone Past & Present Archive. offered rich farmland and there is evidence of Blackhall Rocks 1966, British Geological Survey. © NERC. All rights reserved. Medieval farming with distinct ridge and furrow Pages 19 - 25: patterns on many sites within the area. Carline Thistle, Thrift, Common Scurvy-grass, Increasing demands for food, particularly during Wild Garlic, Durham Wildlife Trust; the Second World War meant that older Pyramidal Orchid, Mike Lowe; Primrose, Common Blue Butterfly, Dingy Skipper pastures were ploughed up and this destroyed Butterfly, Herb Paris, John Hope (English Nature); much of the grasslands on the cliff tops. The Common Rockrose, Burnet Moth, Honeysuckle, quarrying of limestone for making quick-lime, Gen Batey (Malton Associates); Oak Woodland, detail of Yew, Jane Young, 4 9 which was used in agriculture, became important 9 (Young Nature); 1 n i and there are the remains of limekilns in the Roe Deer, Rabbits, Kittiwake, Darin Smith; n o i t i area. More recently, limestone as a raw material l Lilac Beauty Moth, Terry Coult; o m e for the chemical industry has become increasing- Little Tern, R SPB Images, photographer Chris d s Original research and text by Gomersall; t i ly important. e r Purple Sandpiper, RSPB Images, photographer o f Brian Young m e Mike Lane. a b Without doubt the industry which has had the British Geological Survey, Natural Environment Research Council h y a r e e i l S l and Page 26: Easington Colliery before its demolition in most dramatic effect on the area has been coal t o a C Geological history as a single day 1994, District of Easington Past & Present Archive. Gen Batey, Malton Associates . h n mining. Although it has been an essential c o a t e g b Page 28: The beach at Seaham, Philip Nixon. n i s e a h E T 2 27 29 C M Y K Turning the Tide - A Millennium Project feature of central Durham for centuries, it was not until the 19th century, with the discovery Partners: that the Coal Measure rocks continued The Millennium Commission the unique eastwards beneath the Magnesian Limestone, Durham County Council District of Easington landscapeo f the that mining came to east Durham. Shafts were The National Trust east Durham sunk to exploit the rich untouched seams deep One NorthEast coast beneath the limestones, with some workings The European Union extending several miles under the sea. Mining The Countryside Agency Introduction Northumbrian Water has now ended but its legacy has remained in English Nature the numerous pit villages and in the concentra- Durham Wildlife Trust tions of colliery spoil dumped onto the coast. Groundwork East Durham The Environment Agency Much of the spoil has now been removed and Northern Arts Seaham Harbour Dock Company the action of the sea is continuing the process of cleaning up the beaches. Some spoil, which Part One: Following the success of the Turning The Tide remains at Hawthorn Hive is interesting for the project, The Countryside Agency designated the occurrence of a number of unusual minerals, A Vast and Mysterious Past 3 newly regenerated coastline as a Heritage Coast Geological Time in April 2001. Standing today on the cliffs, such as sideronatrite and natrojarosite, which are looking across eastern Durham forming where the minerals in the spoil are Steaming Swamps and Forests 5 Further Information and out to sea it is easy to reacting with sea water. Carboniferous For further information about this area and imagine the landscape as The ‘Turning The Tide’ Project, in conjunction Arid Deserts and Salty Seas 7 things to see and do please contact: something permanent which, Permian with a number of organisations, have reclaimed Durham County Council despite social and economic the old colliery sites, recreating An Eerie Silence 11 Tel. 0191 383 3354 (answering machine outside office hours) changes, has always been natural habitats and improving Triassic - Tertiary District of Easington there. This apparent Tel. 0191 527 0501 ext. 2238/2281 the existing grasslands. tranquillity belies the dramatic Durham Shivers . 13 At the same time the Ice Ages Other leaflets in this series are: events which have shaped the designations of National scene and which can be Nature Reserve and . And Then Warms Up 15 Last Ice Age - Present deduced from reading the Sites of Special evidence contained in the Scientific Interest Part Two: landscape and the rocks ensure that the The Return of the Plant Life 17 beneath it. area is protected The Grasslands 19 As the tides turn today it is for wildlife as well as for people’s The Coastal Denes 22 As well as a selection of village walks leaflets. worth reflecting that countless enjoyment. tides have turned over millions Coastal Birds 25 of years on what is now the Human Influences 27 Durham coast. 30 28 1 C M Y K first Acknowledgements: Humans Front Cover: Wall Brown Butterfly, John Hope last dinosaurs (English Nature); Coastal Grasslands, Mike Lowe; first birds Coastline at Blackhall Rocks. first mammals & dinosaurs Magnesian Limestone formed Page 4: Reconstruction of Coal Measures Swamp, Coal Measures formed IPR/6-51 British Geological Survey. © NERC. first forests All rights reserved. first land plants Page 6: Sketch Section, British Geological Survey. first sea urchins & fish Reconstruction of Coal Measures trees , published first corals by permission of the Palaeontological Association. first shellfish Although humans have only been on earth for a Page 8: Reconstruction of Permian Reef, published by Springer-Verlag, ‘Lecture Notes in Earth very short space of time, relative to geological Sciences ’, edited T.M. Peryt, 1987. time, their actions have affected and continue to Page 9: Land and Sea, Brian Young (British affect the landscape all around, including here, Geological Survey). on the east Durham coast. Page 10: Fossil fish, reproduced from W. King’s 1850 Palaeontographical Society Monograph of Little is known about early human history in Permian Fossils in England, by permission. County Durham. Former settlement sites, tumuli Page 12: Easington Raised Beach, Brian Young (British Geological Survey). (pre-historic burial sites) and an abundance of Page 14: Ice Movements, Brian Young (British scattered flint tools record widespread settlement Geological Survey). dating from shortly after the melting of the ice Page 16: Caves at Blackhall, District of Easington sheets. For centuries the Magnesian Limestone Past & Present Archive. offered rich farmland and there is evidence of Blackhall Rocks 1966, British Geological Survey. © NERC. All rights reserved. Medieval farming with distinct ridge and furrow Pages 19 - 25: patterns on many sites within the area. Carline Thistle, Thrift, Common Scurvy-grass, Increasing demands for food, particularly during Wild Garlic, Durham Wildlife Trust; the Second World War meant that older Pyramidal Orchid, Mike Lowe; Primrose, Common Blue Butterfly, Dingy Skipper pastures were ploughed up and this destroyed Butterfly, Herb Paris, John Hope (English Nature); much of the grasslands on the cliff tops. The Common Rockrose, Burnet Moth, Honeysuckle, quarrying of limestone for making quick-lime, Gen Batey (Malton Associates); Oak Woodland, detail of Yew, Jane Young, 4 9 which was used in agriculture, became important 9 (Young Nature); 1 n i and there are the remains of limekilns in the Roe Deer, Rabbits, Kittiwake, Darin Smith; n o i t i area. More recently, limestone as a raw material l Lilac Beauty Moth, Terry Coult; o m e for the chemical industry has become increasing- Little Tern, R SPB Images, photographer Chris d s Original research and text by Gomersall; t i ly important.