Devon Coast Research Articles

Harold Fox: The Evolution of the Fishing Village: Landscape and Society along the South Devon Coast, 1086–1550

Harold Fox: The Evolution of the Fishing Village: Landscape and Society along the South Devon Coast, 1086–1550

The Salcombe metal cargoes: New light on the provenance and circulation of tin and copper in Later Bronze Age Europe provided by trace elements and isotopes

Since the mid-1970s a Bronze Age assemblage of metal objects has been recovered from the seabed off the south Devon coast at Salcombe, southwest England. The assemblage spans two suspected shipwreck events and comprises nearly 400 pieces of raw materials and finished artefacts, primarily in copper, tin, bronze and gold. Among these are 280 copper and 40 tin ingots, by far the largest discovery of Bronze Age ingots in either metal from northwestern Europe. Research in recent years revealed the microstructural and chemical nature of the ingots and enabled some preliminary conclusions on the metals trade in Europe in the Later Bronze Age. The present study aims to extend this knowledge by determining the tin, copper and lead isotopic compositions of the ingots using HR-MC-ICP-MS. In addition, bronze artefacts (swords, rapiers, palstaves and weights) from the Salcombe site are included in the multi-proxy approach in order to investigate their history and the possible relationships between finished products and ingots. In combination with the available chemical data of previous studies, the current results of the tin metal show that most likely two tin sources in southwest Britain supplied the ore for their production. This also sheds light on Late Bronze Age tin ingots from Israel that share the same geochemical characteristics with one group of the finds from Salcombe. Although the tin in the bronzes is similar to the tin in the ingots, it is not certain that the latter were used to make the bronzes. Correlations of copper and tin isotopes and trace elements of the bronzes point to a mixing or even recycling of copper-tin alloys rather than the alloying of individual components of copper and tin. However, the copper ingots from the assemblage could have been an additional component in the mixing process given their impurity pattern and isotopic composition. At the same time, a close relationship between swords of the Rosnoën type and palstaves from the cargo is disclosed. Lead isotope ratios for their part suggest Sardinian and/or south Spanish copper ores as a source for both the copper ingots and the copper of the bronzes. This would mean long-distance metal trade in the Later Bronze Age in both cases and would provide new insights into the interpretation of the prehistoric networks in Europe.

The stratigraphy of the Chalk Group (Cretaceous) of the Devon coast, UK

An almost continuous layer of Upper Cretaceous deposits up to 1000 m thick was probably deposited across much of SW England. Phases of uplift in the late Cretaceous and early Cenozoic, each of which was followed by extensive erosion and dissolution, resulted in the removal of all except a few outliers of Chalk Group that crop out in east Devon and south Somerset. Those on the Devon coast between Sidmouth and Lyme Regis are some of the best exposed Cenomanian to early Coniacian successions in NW Europe and include the most westerly chalks preserved onshore in England. They form an integral part of the Dorset and East Devon World Heritage Site. In contrast to the Chalk of much of southern England, the older formations in Devon, the Beer Head Limestone, Holywell Nodular Chalk and New Pit Chalk, show marked lateral lithological variations that result from a combination of penecontemporaneous movements on local faults and relatively shallow-water environments close to the western edge of the Chalk depositional basin. The younger parts of the succession, the Lewes Nodular Chalk and Seaford Chalk Formations, comprise chalks that do not appear to have been greatly affected by penecontemporaneous fault movements. These formations include lithological marker beds that have been correlated with marker beds in the Sussex type area. The principal sedimentary breaks in the Devon succession cannot be correlated with confidence with eustatic changes in sea level.

Triassic tragedy—a bone bed in the Otter Sandstone of East Devon, south‐west England

A thin layer of Middle Triassic Otter Sandstone recently exposed on south‐west England's East Devon coast produced abundant and diverse vertebrate fossils, including previously unrecorded taxa. Some of the remains are remarkably complete, allowing CT scanning of Otter Sandstone fossils for the first time. Here we discuss the formation of this assemblage and summarize the preserved fauna, which provides an important insight into the recovery of terrestrial ecosystems following the Earth's greatest mass extinction.

Low cloud on the east‐facing coast of Devon

WeatherVolume 75, Issue 10 p. 310-310 Letter Low cloud on the east-facing coast of Devon Jim Galvin, Corresponding Author Jim Galvin j.galvin@gov.je Newton Abbot, DevonEmail: j.galvin@gov.jeSearch for more papers by this author Jim Galvin, Corresponding Author Jim Galvin j.galvin@gov.je Newton Abbot, DevonEmail: j.galvin@gov.jeSearch for more papers by this author First published: 11 June 2020 https://doi.org/10.1002/wea.3744 [Correction added after online publication 25 February 2020: the article was corrected for grammar.] Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume75, Issue10October 2020Pages 310-310 RelatedInformation

Sediment Cyclicity and the Carnian Pluvial Episode: Evidence from Spectral Gamma-ray Logging of the Mercia Mudstone Group, SW England

The Late Triassic exposed on the Devon coast (SW England) is analysed through spectral gamma-ray logging and considered in terms of two theories of palaeoenvironmental change: sediment cyclicity and the Carnian Pluvial Episode (CPE). A decrease in total count gamma-ray output occurs at the CPE and reflects a geographically extensive change in depositional styles from siltstones and isolated playa-lake, evaporitic mudstones to more geographically-widespread evaporite-bearing mudstone cycles. Th/K and Th/U ought to increase (through humid weathering) in the CPE, but these ratios do not change until above the CPE-related Dunscombe Mudstone Formation. A delayed response in Th enrichment is considered likely, reacting to both the initiation of the 1.2my long CPE, but also longer-term and widespread Carnian rifting, marine inundation and volcanism in Pangaea.

The status of Clibanarius erythropus after a recent range expansion to Great Britain, with the highest latitude recording of a gravid individual

BackgroundIn 2016, the range of the hermit crab Clibanarius erythropus expanded to South West Britain for the second time. C. erythropus primarily lives in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic coast of Europe from the Bay of Biscay to Morocco. The species has now been recorded on both the north and south coast of the South West peninsula of the UK from Newtrain Bay, on the north coast of Cornwall, to Wembury, on the south coast of Devon. It is unknown if the crab’s reappearance in the UK has been caused by a one-off colonisation event or by a continued influx of larvae.ResultsThe population in the UK is made up of individual within a narrow size bracket, indicating a single colonisation event took place, and that the population is an ageing one. However, we also report the highest latitude recording of a gravid individual for the species.ConclusionA lack of gravid individuals was suggested to be why the species was unable to sustain its presence in the UK following a previous colonisation in 1960. This discovery hints that rising water temperatures may allow C. erythropus and other warm-water species to expand and sustain themselves in the UK. We also found crossover in shell utilisation between C. erythropus and the native hermit crab Pagurus bernhardus, suggesting that competition might occur between the two species.

De vissersdorpen aan de Hollandse kust

The fishing villages on the coast of Holland Very little systematic research has been done in the early history of fishing villages on the Dutch coast. In 2001, the English historical-geographer Harold Fox designed a model for the origin of the fishing villages on the coast of Devon. In this model, he describes an original situation in which farmers in inland villages were also part-time fisherman and owned a boat and a boatshed on the beach. Population growth led to labour division and to the emergence of specialised fishing villages. The two most probable periods in which this development took place were the 12th to early 14th centuries and the 16th century. The available data for the coast of the county of Holland point to the first of those periods. Place-names relate the fishing villages to the inland agrarian villages: Egmond aan Zee (‘Egmond at Sea’) exists beside Egmond-Binnen, Wijk aan Zee beside Beverwijk and Katwijk aan Zee beside Katwijk aan de Rijn etc. It is improbable that these fishing villages existed before the 12th century, but during the middle of the 14th century most seem well-established, so a foundation around the 13th century seems probable. Two fishing villages, Berkheide and Ter Heijde, that were founded late in the 14th century, remained small and Berkheide even disappeared. Although many of the medieval fishing villages have (partly) disappeared by coastal erosion, the village plans show remarkable similarities, with a main road from the beach to the inland markets and some parallel roads that join each other on the east side of the village. Only during the 19th century, these villages developed some agriculture (potato gardens in the dunes) and a new economic basis in tourism.

The Jurassic Coast: Geoscience and education – An overview

The Dorset and East Devon Coast World Heritage Site (the Jurassic Coast) was inscribed in 2001 on the UNESCO World Heritage Site List. The inscription recognises the Jurassic Coast’s outstanding universal value in the history of geological science and thought, particularly its special contribution to Mesozoic palaeontology and stratigraphy and evidence of coastal processes and geomorphology. This Special Issue of the Proceedings of the Geologists’ Association celebrates this Site’s unique contribution to geosciences and education, and sets the scene for further research and collaboration.

The Jurassic Coast Story Book: An approach to geoheritage interpretation from the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site

The World Heritage status of the Jurassic Coast has important implications for how the geoheritage of the site is communicated to audiences. UNESCO defines World Heritage Sites as places with Outstanding Universal Value to all people that must be preserved for future generations. Building relationships between people and place is key to conservation and on the Jurassic Coast that is delivered by providing audiences with physical, intellectual and emotional access to the Site. Heritage interpretation offers an effective way to develop these connections and create diverse ways for people to engage with the unique Earth Science stories that underpin the World Heritage Status of the Dorset and East Devon Coast. This paper reflects on the approach to interpretation taken by the Jurassic Coast Team and explores the ways in which geoheritage is a challenging subject to interpret. Practitioners on the Jurassic Coast have more recently developed an interpretive approach to help overcome these difficulties. Three categories of geoheritage stories were identified (Landscape, Cultural geology and Earth History) and three interpretive principles were devised (perspective, intimacy and imagination) as a way of scoping out a relevant emotional context for interpretive content. This approach laid the foundation for the development of a new interpretation framework for the Jurassic Coast – The Jurassic Coast Story Book, which will be subject to ongoing testing and evaluation by the new organisation leading on the protection and promotion of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site; Jurassic Coast Trust.

The stratigraphy of the Gault and Upper Greensand Formations (Albian stage, Cretaceous) of the Dorset and East Devon Coast World Heritage Site, U.K.

The Upper Greensand Formation, in part mainly underlain by the Gault Formation and overlain by the Chalk Group, has extensive cliff outcrops in the Dorset and East Devon Coast World Heritage Site (WHS). The argillaceous Gault, up to 20 m thick in the Isle of Purbeck, is poorly exposed due to its involvement in extensive landslides, but the exposures of Upper Greensand are the most complete in England. The Gault (Middle Albian) rests unconformably on progressively older Jurassic and Triassic strata when traced westwards and becomes more arenaceous in the same direction. On the east Devon coast, the Upper Greensand comprises up to 55 m of sandstones and calcarenites that were deposited in fully marine, shallow-water environments. The formation is divided into three members there (Foxmould, Whitecliff Chert and Bindon Sandstone) each bounded by a prominent erosion surface. The full thickness of the Upper Greensand, up to 60 m, was formerly exposed in cliffs in the Isle of Purbeck in and adjacent to the steeply dipping limb of the Purbeck Monocline. The lower (Foxmould) part of the succession is similar to that in east Devon, but the upper part (White Nothe Member) is lithologically different and probably the correlative of only the Bindon Sandstone. Much of the fauna of the Gault and Upper Greensand of the WHS is not age-diagnostic with the result that the ages of parts of the succession are still poorly known. However, diverse ammonite assemblages recorded from a few thin beds in the lower and highest parts of the succession show that all except one of the Albian ammonite zones is present.

Late Cretaceous stratigraphy, sediments and structure: Gems of the Dorset and East Devon Coast World Heritage Site (Jurassic Coast), England

Extraordinary, long-distance litho-marker beds such as the Lewes and Shoreham Tubular Flints and associated marl seams and fossils, recognised in cliff exposures and cliff-fall boulders, are keys to unlocking the stratigraphy and tectonic structures in the Late Cretaceous of the Dorset and East Devon Coast World Heritage Site (Jurassic Coast). Durdle Cove is a special gem exposing the Lewes and Seaford Chalk stratigraphy where new marker beds are identified and sediments and tectonic structures provide clues to timing of movements that produced a Late Cretaceous pericline which grew into a Miocene monocline along the line of the underlying Purbeck Reverse Fault. During ‘inversion’ along this fault some Late Cretaceous Chalk formations were in part or completely ‘lost’ (e.g. Middle Turonian New Pit Chalk Formation) and others were condensed (e.g. Late Santonian and Early Campanian Newhaven Chalk Formation). Excavation of the A354 road cutting at the Lower Bincombe Farm, has greatly added to the stratigraphical records of Late Cretaceous fossils in South Dorset, especially Coniacian and Early Campanian inoceramid bivalves and the various stratigraphically specific forms of the Late Santonian to Early Campanian echinoid fossil Echinocorys scutata spp. not recorded before in this coastline. The very large bivalve fossil Platyceramus sp. provides clues to chalk sea-floor environments.

Arm hooks of coleoid cephalopods from the Jurassic succession of the Wessex Basin, Southern England

The Jurassic succession of the Wessex Basin – especially that cropping out within the Dorset and East Devon Coast World Heritage Site – contains important lagerstätten for coleoid cephalopods. The Blue Lias and Charmouth Mudstone formations of West Dorset, the Oxford Clay Formation of North Wiltshire and the Kimmeridge Clay Formation of Purbeck have provided large numbers of important body fossils that inform our knowledge of coleoid palaeobiology, including the hooks present in the arms. Isolated hooks are also found in the processed residues studied by micropalaeontologists and these occurrences can be used – in some cases – to record the presence of key taxa in the absence of well-preserved body fossils. While some hook morphotypes can be attributed to known species, there are many forms of hook described where the parent animal remains unknown. The present state of our knowledge of the Jurassic assemblages in the Wessex Basin is presented and remaining issues identified.

The stratigraphy of the Permo-Triassic rocks of the Dorset and East Devon Coast World Heritage Site, U.K.

An almost complete late Permian and Triassic succession c. 1300 m thick is exposed in the cliffs between Exmouth and Lyme Regis in the Dorset and East Devon Coast World Heritage Site, U.K. All except the youngest part of the succession was deposited in terrestrial environments that include alluvial fans, aeolian sand dunes, braided rivers and playa-lakes. The succession of environments with time not only reflects the denudation of the Variscan mountains that lay to the west and south in the Cornubian and Armorican massifs, but also responses to periods of tectonic uplift and subsidence, and to long- and short-term climatic and associated biotic changes. Notwithstanding the almost continuous, readily accessible exposures in the cliffs and intertidal areas, few of the formations have yielded any age-diagnostic fossils with the result that much of the succession cannot be dated with certainty. The Permo-Triassic boundary has been placed in the lower part of the succession on the basis of magnetostratigraphy and the same method has been used to quantify some of the stage boundaries and the principal tectonic breaks in the succession.

Climate adaptation in fragmented governance settings: the consequences of reform in public administration

ABSTRACTThe impact of dominant trends in public administration, such as decentralisation and privatisation on complex collective challenges is insufficiently understood. This is relevant in settings where climate change impacts become manifest at local level, and where financing power resides at national level but decisions are made more locally in a fragmented institutional setting. This study assists in overcoming this gap by analysing how the institutional context (i.e. a decentralised, privatised, fragmented setting) influences the capacity to address climate change challenges in a vulnerable area (the South Devon coast in the UK). There has been little action to address expected climate change impacts in this vulnerable stretch of coast. A lack of clarity around responsibility for addressing climate impacts and a lack of a deliberative structure between various actors involved, within a context of austerity, hamper climate change adaptation. The findings question whether decentralised decision making is sufficient for addressing climate adaptation challenges.

The stratigraphy of the Upper Greensand Formation (Albian, Cretaceous) of the Isle of Purbeck, Dorset, UK

AbstractAt its maximum development in the type area on the Devon coast, the Upper Greensand Formation comprises up to 55 m of sandstones and calcarenites with laterally and stratigraphically variable amounts of carbonate cement, glauconite and chert that were deposited in fully marine, shallow-water environments. The formation is divided into three members, in ascending order the Foxmould, Whitecliff Chert and Bindon Sandstone, each of which is bounded by a prominent erosion surface that can be recognised throughout the western part of the Wessex Basin. The full thickness of the formation, up to 60 m, was formerly well exposed in cliffs in the Isle of Purbeck in the steeply dipping limb of the Purbeck Monocline. The upper part of the succession is highly condensed in comparison with the Devon succession and exhibits lateral variations over distances of hundreds of metres that are probably related to penecontemporaneous fault movements. Much of the fauna is not age-diagnostic with the result that the ages of parts of the succession are still poorly known. However, the Isle of Purbeck sections contain diverse ammonite faunas at a few stratigraphically well-defined levels that enable the succession to be correlated with that of east Devon and west Dorset.

High resolution mapping, description and interpretation of the foreshore in front of the great undercliff landslides; the Plateau, Dowlands and Bindon within the Axmouth to Lyme Regis Undercliffs National Nature Reserve, south Devon coast, England, and how that might inform understanding of the mechanisms of failure

The Axmouth to Lyme Regis Undercliff National Nature Reserve contains three highly unusual landslides; the Plateau, Dowlands and Bindon. The failure surface of the Plateau landslide is clearly within the Triassic strata rather than on the Jurassic-Cretaceous unconformity, which is the primary failure surface elsewhere along this coast. The nature of the famous Bindon Landslide of 1839, which formed Goat Island and the Chasm, has been the subject of much debate since it was first described by Buckland and Conybeare in 1840. While it is broadly agreed to be a translational failure, the stratigraphic location of the failure surface is still not agreed. This paper examines the Plateau slip in detail and attempts to apply what can be seen there to Dowlands and Bindon. While Pitts undertook a highly detailed mapping exercise of the landslides throughout the undercliff itself, he did not map the foreshore in any detail. Therefore an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle or drone was used to generate a high resolution photomontage of the foreshore in front of all three landslides to enable detailed mapping of the features contained within it. The results are available on the web. The mapping does not resolve the question of the location of the failure surface of both Dowlands and Bindon but it provides further detail for interpretation.

The Middle Triassic (Anisian) Otter Sandstone biota (Devon, UK): review, recent discoveries and ways ahead

The Middle Triassic (Anisian) Otter Sandstone was laid down mostly by braided rivers in a desert environment and is now well exposed along the south-east Devon coast in south-west England, part of the ‘Jurassic Coast’ World Heritage Site. It yields uncommon and generally fragmentary fossils, principally of vertebrates, including fish, temnospondyl amphibians and reptiles such as rhynchosaurs, predatory archosaurs, and small superficially lizard-like forms. These provide important information about a freshwater and terrestrial ecosystem that marks recovery from the end-Permian mass extinction, but pre-dated the appearance of dinosaurs and mammals. The constantly eroding Otter Sandstone exposures continue to reveal new taxa (for example, freshwater sharks). Furthermore, microvertebrate material obtained by sieving bone-bearing levels has the potential to further expand the faunal list. Newly discovered associated and articulated vertebrate remains, including small tetrapods, improve knowledge of whole-body anatomy and facilitate systematic work. Invertebrate burrows and reptile footprints provide information on ecological interactions and detailed bed-by-bed collecting casts light on taphonomic processes and faunal changes over time.

Delivering the Exe Estuary Trail cycling and walking route, UK

The Exe Estuary Trail is a 25 km long sustainable cycling and walking route on the south coast of Devon, UK. The largely off-road facility links Exeter city centre to the coastal towns of Exmouth and Dawlish on either side of the Exe Estuary. The route mainly runs parallel to existing railway lines, and allows public access to the unique European environment and wildlife site. This paper describes the design and construction of the route. Designed for both leisure and commuter use, sustainable development was a key driver of this project. Delivery was led by Devon County Council working in close partnership with Parsons Brinckerhoff and key statutory authorities. The social and health benefits of this green infrastructure project are mirrored by the economic gains of new and existing businesses around the River Exe.

Barrera-Fernández, D. (2016). Attracting visitors to ancient neighbourhoods: Creation and management of the historic city of Plymouth, UK. Groningen: InPlanning. 289 pp. Free e-book. ISBN: 978-94-91937-19-4. DOI code: 10.17418/PHD.2015.9789491937194

Barrera-Fernandez, D. (2016). Attracting visitors to ancient neighbourhoods: Creation and management of the historic city of Plymouth, UK. Groningen: InPlanning. 289 pp. Free e-book. ISBN: 978-94-91937-19-4. DOI code: 10.17418/PHD.2015.9789491937194Tourism considers as an essential tool for achieving European Union objectives and promoting European citizen's interests, increasing employment and growth, developing regions, better managing cultural and natural heritage and strengthening European identity (EU Commission, 2000). Since 1988 urban tourism constituted the most stable part of tourism potential and revenue of European countries (Hollier, 1988) and in the recent years the number of countries with decisions to develop urban and cultural tourism to enhance their economy and regenerate their historical areas has increased rapidly. In the European Union, heritage policies depend on each country and some countries such as UK (Bath), Germany (Heidelberg) and Italy (Florence) successfully attracted significant numbers of visitors to their historic sites and managed to become top heritage tourism destinations. In these cities, tourism is the dominant activity and heritage conservation has become a priority.Current book focuses on the historic city of Plymouth which is a medium size, multifunctional city with regional relevance on the south coast of Devon, the most visited region of the United Kingdom (UK) by nationals and one of the most visited by foreign tourists. According to BarreraFernandez in the number of visitors, Plymouth is in the third place among unitary authorities of the Southwest of England and in the first place among heritage and coastal cities of Devon and Cornwall. Despite other UK's port cities Plymouth was built around, and for, the Royal Navy, not maritime trade, and was once the largest naval base in Europe. The city is not a major traditional heritage or cultural destination but made an effort to change and is continuing to change in relation to the development of urban cultural tourism by offering a complementary product in its region.This book is evolved from doctoral thesis of Daniel Barrera-Fernandez and using British model (Ashworth and Tunbridge, 2000) focuses on the role and importance of heritage preservation and urban tourism in Plymouth. The book has eight sections and addresses the following aims:* First, analyse specific framework of heritage preservation and management in the UK with focus on Plymouth to find out how the heritage framework has evolved and identify the current framework in relation to legislation and the role of administrations involved;* Second, study the historic evolution of urban tourism and the current relevance of tourism-related activities;* Finally study how different stakeholders and initiatives affect the tourist use of the historic city, dividing them into four aspects: heritage and culture, tourism, urban planning and economy.After foreword and acknowledgment the book starts with the first section to introduce the rationale of the research, research questions and methodology. Second section focuses on the historic cities of Europe, urban cultural tourism, heritage values and recent trends and shifts. Third section focuses on the city of Plymouth and discusses its geographic position, its relationship with the sea, importance of the military forces in its history, its urban and local government and socioeconomic approach and finally presents the study's area. Section four focuses on the evolution of preservation and management of Plymouth during the Second World War and consequences on built heritage and discusses the current situation regarding conservation areas, statutory listed buildings and other local listing policies.Section five is about the history of the tourism industry in Plymouth where the author introduces four stages of pre-war antecedents where the city was particularly attractive because of its transoceanic connections; the war and the recovery of the activity where the war destroyed much of the tourist activity and the city made an effort to recover; the changes in the market where British holiday makers changed national destinations for international resorts and there was a need to find new tourist markets; the new management strategies where there was an increase in promotion and creating new events and attractions and visitors' profiles. …